Let's Examine the Scriptures Every Day 2025
Sunday, October 12, 2025
The Lord will establish them, he will make them strong, he will set them on a firm foundation (1 Pet. 5:10).
The Bible often portrays God's faithful servants as powerful. But even the strongest didn't always feel that way. For example, at times King David was courageous and felt "as strong as a mountain," but at other times he felt weak and terrified (Ps. 30:7). On the other hand, Samson had incredible strength when Jehovah gave him His Spirit, but he recognized that without God's power he would become "as weak as all other men" (Judges 14:5, 6; 16:17).
Where did these faithful servants draw strength? From Jehovah. The apostle Paul recognized that he, too, needed the power that comes from Jehovah (2 Cor. 12:9, 10). He struggled with health problems (Gal. 4:13, 14). He also struggled to do what was right (Rom. 7:18, 19). At times, he felt anxious and feared for his life (2 Cor. 1:8, 9). Yet he said, “When I am weak, then I am powerful.” How was that possible? Because Jehovah gave him the strength he lacked, and thus made him powerful.
What questions will we answer in this article?
Jehovah promises to make us strong too (1 Pet. 5:10). But for that to happen, we can't just stand idly by. Think of a car. It needs a powerful engine to move forward. But the engine won't propel the car forward unless the driver presses the accelerator.
Like that engine, Jehovah can give us the strength we need. But we must do our part. What help has Jehovah given us to be strong? And what must we do to benefit from it? To find out, let's see how Jehovah strengthened the prophet Jonah, Mary the mother of Jesus, and the apostle Paul. We'll also see that Jehovah does the same for his servants today.
What can we do to receive Jehovah's strength?
One of the things we can do to receive Jehovah's strength is to pray. He answers our prayers by giving us "power beyond all things" (2 Cor. 4:7). It's also good to read and reflect on his Word (Ps. 86:11). What he tells us in the Bible "works with power" (Heb. 4:12). So if you pray to Jehovah and read 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.
Why did Jonah need strength?
Jonah needed strength. Jehovah had given him a mission. But because he was afraid to fulfill it, he decided to run away and took a boat in the opposite direction. As a result, he and everyone on the boat nearly died in a great storm. When the sailors threw him overboard, he ended up in a dark and gloomy place: the belly of a great fish. How must Jonah have felt? Did he think he was going to die there? Did he think Jehovah had turned his back on him? In any case, he must have felt terribly distressed.
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