Yellow: Direct Response
Light Yellow: Additional Response
“You said, ‘Jehovah is my refuge’” (Ps. 91:9).
1, 2. What shocking events will happen soon?
Soon, world-changing events will take place. Jehovah will put “his thought” into the hearts of governments, that is, they will give “their authority as kings to the wild beast,” the United Nations. Then, with that enormous power and the full support of all governments, the beast will destroy the world’s false religious organizations forever. Thus will begin the great tribulation.
Next, governments will unite to attack God’s people with all their might. The book Pure Worship of Jehovah—Restored at Last! explains what will lead them to do so: “Satan will incite the nations to wipe out both Jehovah’s true servants and pure worship.”
Then an unparalleled event will occur: the battle of Armageddon. Jesus, along with the 144,000 and the angels, will defeat the wicked and save God's servants. Satan's world will disappear, and the new world will begin.
3. What will we see in this article?
In this article, we will begin by analyzing Psalm 91 and then answer the following questions: What kind of protection is spoken of in this psalm? How does Jehovah protect us now? And how will he protect us in the future?
A PSALM OF TRUST AND PROTECTION
4. What does Psalm 91:1, 2 assure us?
The first two verses of Psalm 91 assure us that Jehovah will protect those who trust in him. In the following verses, the psalmist uses striking comparisons to convey the certainty that Jehovah can protect his servants from any danger.
The words “refuge” and “fortress” make us think of a walled city. In Bible times, its inhabitants were protected within its walls, and those outside could enter to find safety from their enemies. Similarly, Jehovah provides us with “refuge” and “fortress,” offering protection and security when we trust in him completely.
5, 6. What does Psalm 91:14-16 promise us, and why can we trust that promise?
In Psalm 91:14-16 we find the greatest guarantee of all: Jehovah himself makes a promise directly to his servants. In these verses, Jehovah assures them that he will protect them because they trust in him, know his name, and turn to him. His promises are not empty; we know that he always fulfills them. Therefore, we can have complete confidence in them.
We can trust that promise because Jehovah inspired the psalmist to write Psalm 91. Therefore, like this writer, each of us can say to Jehovah: “You are my refuge and my strength.”
WHAT KIND OF PROTECTION DOES PSALM 91 PROMISE?
7. What kind of protection does Psalm 91 promise?
In Psalm 91, Jehovah promises to give us spiritual protection. However, this psalm speaks not only of spiritual protection but also of emotional and physical protection. This means that Jehovah will not allow our enemies to steal our inner peace or destroy us as a group.
Psalm 91 assures us that Jehovah will always provide what we need to protect us from anything that could endanger our precious friendship with him.
8, 9. What did Jesus answer Satan when he tempted him, and what do we learn? (Matthew 4:5-7).
When Satan tempted Jesus, Jesus replied: “Do not put Jehovah your God to the test.” Satan had told him to throw himself down from the highest point of the temple, arguing that Jehovah’s angels would protect him. To support his argument, he quoted the words of Psalm 91:11, 12. If these verses did not include the idea of physical protection, Jesus would surely have replied: “You are mistaken. That psalm does not promise physical protection.”
We learn that although Jesus knew his Father had sometimes used angels to physically protect his servants from the attacks of their enemies, he did not want to test him by acting recklessly and expecting the angels to come and save him. This teaches us that we should never test Jehovah. Furthermore, considering Jesus’ response to Satan, we can conclude that Psalm 91 speaks of Jehovah’s protection in a spiritual, emotional, and physical sense.
10. What are we convinced of?
We are convinced that Jehovah is a refuge and a stronghold for those who trust in him. Therefore, we should not be afraid when we think about the destruction of Satan’s world. On the contrary, Jehovah’s promise in Psalm 91 fills us with confidence and peace.
HOW DOES JEHOVAH PROTECT US NOW?
11. How does Jehovah protect us spiritually?
Jehovah protects us spiritually by giving us what we need to cope with the dangers that could threaten our friendship with him. Because he fully understands our constant struggle against sin and the power it has over us, he offers us various forms of help so that we can overcome it.
12, 13. How can we overcome evil desires? (Matthew 5:28, 29).
To combat wrong desires, we must take drastic measures, just as Jesus advises at Matthew 5:28, 29. One Bible commentator calls this measure “the surgical remedy.” For example, immoral images are like a malignant tumor that we must completely remove from our lives. If we heed Jesus’ counsel, we will protect our friendship with Jehovah.
14. How does the Holy Spirit protect us?
Jehovah’s spirit does not eliminate wrong desires, but it gives us the willpower to resist them and do what is right. The apostle Paul wrote: “Keep walking in accordance with the spirit, and you will not fulfill any desire of the flesh.” In this way, we can protect our relationship with God.
The study note explains: “The person who walks according to the spirit is the one who seeks the guidance of God’s spirit and allows it to influence his way of thinking and acting. And, if he has evil desires, he does not dwell on them, but immediately rejects them.”
15. How does Jehovah’s organization protect us? (See also the pictures.)
Because of our imperfection, we can sometimes be overwhelmed by negative thoughts and feelings. We may feel terribly guilty about past mistakes, think we are worthless, or be consumed by anxiety. For this reason, Jehovah’s organization protects us spiritually through the publications it provides.
Jehovah’s organization provides us with spiritual food that helps us to be convinced that he forgives us, that we are valuable in his eyes, and that we can trust his promise to provide for our needs. This shows that Jehovah uses his organization to provide us with spiritual food at the right time and to protect us spiritually.
ILLUSTRATION
Images of a sister enjoying spiritual nourishment: 1. She studies the book “Be Courageous in Walking with God.” 2. She watches a JW Broadcasting program with her husband and daughter.
Jehovah uses his organization to provide us with food at the proper time and to protect us spiritually (see paragraph 15).
16. What has Jehovah allowed, and what are we sure of?
Jehovah has allowed some of his servants to suffer persecution and even death to prove the Devil a liar. However, Satan finds these deaths insufficient, for he would love to see our enemies wipe out all of God's faithful servants.
We are confident that Jehovah uses angels to protect his people as a whole and to prevent pure worship from disappearing from the Earth.
17. Why do we not expect Jehovah to protect us now from everything that could cause us physical harm?
Obeying Jehovah’s standards spares us from many practices and situations that could harm us. Even so, we do not expect him to protect us now from absolutely everything that could cause us physical harm, because if he did, Satan would take advantage of the situation to continue spreading the lie that we serve Jehovah only because he protects us.
We know that Jehovah has patiently endured the persecution and attacks of the wicked because, by enduring, we contribute to sanctifying his holy name. However, he will not allow this situation to continue much longer. In the meantime, he helps us to remain loyal in the face of any trial and to protect our precious friendship with him.
HOW WILL JEHOVAH PROTECT US IN THE FUTURE?
18. How will Jehovah protect us in the future?
When the nations launch a full-scale attack against God’s servants, Jehovah will not allow them to annihilate his people as a group. This attack will trigger the war of Armageddon, in which Jehovah will send Jesus Christ and his heavenly army to fight against their enemies.
When Jesus and his heavenly army fight against God's enemies at Armageddon, not one of them will be left alive. In contrast, not one of Jehovah's sheep will lose its life at the hands of its enemies.
19, 20. Why shouldn't we be afraid when we think about the war of Armageddon? (See also the image).
We should not be afraid when we think about the war of Armageddon, because we trust that Jehovah will be our refuge and our strength. When Jesus and his heavenly army fight against God’s enemies, not one of them will be left alive. In contrast, not a single one of Jehovah’s sheep will lose its life at the hands of its enemies, whether they are humans or demons.
Once Armageddon begins, we can expect Jehovah to protect his servants, both as a group and individually, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. As the psalmist wrote, to everyone who says, “Jehovah is my refuge,” he promises, “None of these things will come near you.” Therefore, we have no fear of what may happen in the future, for we have complete confidence that Jehovah will protect us.
ILLUSTRATION
During the war of Armageddon, a mother and her two children are at home. The mother has her arms around them, and one of her children clutches the book "Let Us Be Courageous as We Walk with God." An angel creates a protective shield around them.
During Armageddon, we will receive physical and emotional protection (see paragraphs 19 and 20).
WHAT WOULD YOU ANSWER?
What kind of protection does Psalm 91 promise?
Psalm 91 assures us that Jehovah will protect those who trust in him. The words “refuge” and “fortress” make us think of a walled city. In Bible times, its inhabitants were protected within its walls, and those outside could enter to find safety from their enemies. Similarly, today Jehovah can protect his servants from any danger.
How does Jehovah protect us now?
Jehovah protects us spiritually by giving us what we need to cope with dangers that could threaten our friendship with him. To do this, he uses various means:
His Word:Jehovah not only tells us what things we should avoid, but also what we need to do to avoid falling into them.
His Holy Spirit:Jehovah gives us his spirit to help us fight against wrong desires and do what is right.
Your organization:Jehovah uses his organization to provide us with publications and spiritual food that protect us spiritually.
How will Jehovah protect us in the future?
During the great tribulation, Jehovah will continue to protect his people spiritually. When the nations attack his servants with all their might, he will not allow them to be destroyed as a group.
Comments
Post a Comment