DAILY TEXT, From today Wednesday February 19, 2025, He will make you strong (1 Pet. 5:10).

Let us examine the scriptures every day 2025

Wednesday February 19, 2025

He will make them strong (1 Pet. 5:10).

One of the things we can do to receive Jehovah's strength is to pray. He answers our prayers by giving us “power beyond the ordinary” (2 Cor. 4:7). It is also good to read his Word and reflect on it (Ps. 86:11). What he tells us in the Bible “acts with power” (Heb. 4:12). So, by praying to Jehovah and reading his Word, you will receive the strength you need to endure, continue serving him joyfully, or fulfill a challenging responsibility. Let's see how Jehovah strengthened the prophet Jonah. Jehovah had given him a mission. But, since he was afraid to fulfill it, he decided to flee and took a boat in the opposite direction. As a result, he and everyone on the ship almost died in a huge storm. When the sailors threw him overboard, he ended up in a dark and gloomy place: the belly of a large fish. What did Jonah do to receive strength inside the belly of the fish? From that lonely place, he prayed to Jehovah (Jon. 2:1, 2, 7). w23.10 13 paras. 4-6.

Why did Jonah need strength?

Jonah needed strength. Jehovah had given him a mission. But, since he was afraid to fulfill it, he decided to flee and took a boat in the opposite direction. As a result, he and everyone on the ship almost died in a huge storm. When the sailors threw him overboard, he ended up in a dark and gloomy place: the belly of a large fish. How would Jonah feel? Would he think he was going to die there? Did he think that Jehovah had turned his back on him? In any case, he must have felt terribly distressed.

What gave Jonah strength in the belly of the fish? (Jonah 2:1, 2, 7).

What did Jonah do to receive strength inside the belly of the fish? From that lonely place, he prayed to Jehovah (read Jonah 2:1, 2, 7). Although he had disobeyed him, Jonah knew that Jehovah would hear his humble prayer, because he was repentant. Additionally, he reflected on the Scriptures. How do we know? Because in his prayer, which is in Jonah chapter 2, he used many of the words and expressions of the Psalms (for example, compare Jonah 2:2, 5 with Psalm 69:1; 86:7). It is clear that Jonah knew those passages very well. And, as he meditated on them during that difficult experience, he had confidence that Jehovah would help him. Later, when he returned to dry land, he was ready to accept his mission and fulfill it (Jon. 2:10-3:4).

What helped a brother be strong during difficult times?

Jonah's example can help us when we go through difficult situations. Consider a brother from Taiwan named Zhiming.b He is very ill and, in order to serve Jehovah, he suffers fierce opposition from his family. How do you get the strength that Jehovah gives? Praying and studying. He admits: “Sometimes when problems arise I feel so distressed that I cannot calm down to do my personal study.” But he doesn't throw in the towel. He says: “The first thing I do is pray to Jehovah. Then I put on my headphones and listen to some Kingdom songs. Sometimes I sing them quietly until I can calm down. And then I start studying.”

What Zhiming has learned in his personal study has given him strength at the right time. Once, when he was recovering from a delicate operation, a nurse told him that he had so few red blood cells that he would need a blood transfusion. But the night before he had surgery he had read about a sister who had undergone the same operation. The sister's red blood cell level was lower than his, but she did not accept blood and recovered well. Reading that experience gave Zhiming strength to be faithful.

What can you do if a test has left you powerless? (See also images).

When going through a trial, do you sometimes feel so distressed that it is very difficult for you to pray? Or do you think you don't have the strength to study? Remember that Jehovah understands perfectly what you are going through. So even when you pray a simple prayer to him, you can be convinced that he will give you just what you need (Eph. 3:20). If physical or emotional pain makes it difficult for you to read and study, a good idea might be to listen to recordings of the Bible or our publications. Another thing that might help you is to play one of our songs or a video from jw.org. When you pray to Jehovah and seek the answer to your prayers in the spiritual gifts he gives, it is as if he were saying, “Please give me strength.”

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