DAILY TEXT, Thursday, August 21, 2025, Endurance earns God's approval; God's approval produces hope (Rom. 5:4).

Let's Examine the Scriptures Every Day 2025

Thursday, August 21, 2025

Endurance brings God's approval; God's approval produces hope (Rom. 5:4).

Endurance earns us God's approval. That doesn't mean Jehovah is pleased when we go through difficulties, but rather that he is pleased when we endure. Doesn't it encourage you to know that if you remain faithful and endure, you can make Jehovah happy? (Ps. 5:12)

Consider Abraham. He earned God's approval because he endured the trials he faced. Jehovah saw him as his friend and considered him righteous (Gen. 15:6; Rom. 4:13, 22). The same is true for us. God's approval doesn't depend on everything we do in his service or on the responsibilities we have in the congregation, but rather on our faithfulness and endurance. And that's something that's within everyone's reach, regardless of our age, circumstances, or abilities.

Are you facing a trial right now? Keep in mind that if you remain faithful, you will have God's approval. Knowing that Jehovah is pleased with us has a very powerful effect: it strengthens our hope. w23:12 11 pars. 13, 14.

How did Paul continue his explanation, and what might we wonder?

As we saw, Paul said that we will have God's approval if we endure. Now let's look at how he continued his explanation: "God's approval produces hope, and hope does not disappoint" (Rom. 5:4, 5). A little earlier, in Romans 5:2, Paul had already said that the Christians in Rome had a hope, "the hope of receiving the glory of God." So we might ask, "If those Christians already had a hope, why does Paul speak of hope again?"

Explain how someone can become convinced that the hope the Bible gives is real.

We can understand what Paul meant if we keep in mind that hope has the ability to grow stronger. Think, for example, about the first time someone told you about the hope of living forever in a paradise on Earth. Perhaps you thought the idea was too good to be true. But as you came to know Jehovah better and what the Bible promises, you became more and more convinced that this hope would come true.

How has your hope grown stronger since you were baptized?

Even after your baptism, your hope has continued to grow stronger as you have learned and matured spiritually. (Heb. 5:13–6:1) You have likely experienced what Romans 5:2–4 mentions: you have experienced difficulties and seen Jehovah's approval of you. Because you know Jehovah is pleased with you, you are even more convinced that he will fulfill what he has promised. Your hope is stronger than it was at the beginning. It is more real, more personal, more intense. It influences every aspect of your life, such as how you treat your family, the decisions you make, and how you spend your time.

All Rights Reserved Copyright © 2024 Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania JW.ORG.