JW subtitle extractor

Jehovah highly esteems the courage
of his loyal worshippers.
True courage, however, is shown by action,
as is the case with other good qualities.
For instance, “faith without works is dead.”
Likewise, love must be expressed,
not merely in words but,
what does the Bible say,
“in deed and truth.”
So it is with courage.
It takes trust in Jehovah
to face distressing situations,
but our trust must also
be accompanied by action.
Inaction, indecision, or sluggishness
may indicate a lack of courage.
Courage should impel us
to speak and act with boldness.
Jehovah, in turn, will bless our courage
and help us to succeed.
This fact is well-illustrated
by the Bible account of David.
When it came to doing Jehovah’s will,
David was a man of courage and of action.
Even after stumbling
and suffering many calamities,
David remained loyal to Jehovah
down to the end of his life.
Shortly before his death,
David formally entrusted his son Solomon
with the construction of Jehovah’s temple.
Imagine how Solomon must have felt
when David handed him
architectural plans inspired
by Jehovah himself!
Evidently, Solomon felt
overwhelmed by the task.
But his father, David,
strengthened him with words
that can strengthen us today
when we face challenges.
We invite all of you,
including you children and young folks,
to open your Bible and read along
as we listen to the account recorded
at 1 Chronicles 28:1-20.
I’ll give you a moment.
That’s 1 Chronicles chapter 28,
beginning with verse 1.
Imagine Solomon’s task!
Not only had he been commissioned
to build a unique house of true worship
but this temple was also
to be ‘“exceedingly magnificent,”
with fame and beauty “known in all lands.”’
Yet, Solomon had little, if any,
experience as a builder.
David anticipated the challenges
that lay ahead.
Further, Solomon would face personal attacks
from inside and outside his family.
David, therefore, admonished his son
to be obedient and loyal to Jehovah.
He also urged Solomon
to “be courageous and strong
and to go to work.”
Fear could have paralyzed Solomon.
Thinking that his assignment
was too difficult,
he might have procrastinated
or even abandoned the task altogether.
This would have displeased Jehovah greatly.
Hence, David repeated the counsel:
“Go to work.”
David understood that courage and trust
in Jehovah must be accompanied by action.
He knew this from personal experience.
Let’s examine some events
in David’s life that called for courage.
As we read these accounts, ask yourself,
‘Was David prone to procrastinate,
to hesitate, or to become paralyzed
in the face of difficult problems?’
Consider, for instance, the circumstances
surrounding David’s anointing
as king of Israel.
King Saul was still reigning,
but Jehovah had rejected Saul
because of his flagrant disobedience.
Read along in your Bible
as you listen to the words
of 1 Samuel 16:1-23.
That’s 1 Samuel 16:1-23.
In your mind’s eye,
could you picture young David, his father,
and his brothers all standing
before the prophet Samuel?
Then Jehovah handpicked David to be king
and directed Samuel to anoint the boy.
Yet, Saul remained on the throne,
still widely recognized
as Israel’s legitimate king.
That was surely a time
when David needed courage.
For one thing, how would Saul react
upon learning that David
had been anointed as king?
Saul would certainly seek to kill him.
So imagine how David felt
when he was summoned to Saul’s house
to become his personal attendant!
He must have had misgivings,
to say the least.
What about us today?
We may be feeling anxiety
over family difficulties,
health problems, financial troubles,
persecution, or our own sinful inclinations.
But these problems needn’t scare us
into spiritual paralysis.
When we face such challenges,
we should seek Jehovah’s help
through prayer, his Word,
and the congregation.
Often, we’ll find practical things we can do
to minimize our problems.
Even when problems don’t go away,
we should stay busy working hard
to do Jehovah’s will as best we can,
even in the face of calamity.
That is true courage!
When David was called to appear before Saul,
he didn’t succumb to fear.
He showed strength and courage,
and he went to work!
He accepted the assignment,
knowing that Jehovah
would give him practical wisdom
to act according to the need.
As it turned out, King Saul grew
to love David very much,
and David became Saul’s armor-bearer.
Please follow the dramatic reading
of 1 Samuel 17:1-51.
That’s just one chapter over
—1 Samuel chapter 17,
beginning with verse 1.
This is the exciting story
of David and Goliath.
The account illustrates how David
used practical wisdom and showed courage.
The account of David and Goliath
is a lesson about courage.
But it’s also a lesson
about practical wisdom and faith in action.
David was working when his father told him
to take provisions to his brothers
at the battlefront.
So David was expected
to do two things at one time.
How could he take care of his family’s flock
and at the same time
deliver goods to his brothers
several miles away?
He showed practical wisdom.
He also showed he was a trustworthy person.
The Bible says:
“David got up early in the morning
“and left someone in charge of the sheep;
“then he packed up and went
just as Jesse had commanded him.”
Soon he faced
a potentially paralyzing situation.
David went looking for his brothers,
only to find Israel’s army terrified
by Goliath’s menacing posture
and demoralized by his taunts.
David’s immediate response
showed his courage.
He asked why no one
had yet struck down
the presumptuous man
who dared to taunt Jehovah.
Yet, David’s own brother, Eliab,
berated him in public,
questioned his motives,
called him presumptuous,
and accused him of neglecting
his father’s flocks.
Nevertheless, David volunteered
to fight Goliath,
only to get brushed off by the king.
Saul told him that he
couldn’t possibly defeat Goliath
because David was just “a boy”!
What did David do
in the face of such
disheartening circumstances?
He showed courage.
That courage gave him the spiritual
and emotional strength to go to work.
He remembered what Jehovah
had done for him in the past.
David never forgot
how Jehovah rescued him
from a bear and a lion
—both of which are superior
to humans in speed and strength.
Jehovah not only rescued David
but he also enabled him
to kill those ferocious beasts.
So David could confidently say:
“Jehovah, who rescued me
from the claws of the lion and the bear,
he is the one who will rescue me
from the hand of this Philistine.”
When we face discouragement
or even depression,
could we benefit from meditating on the ways
Jehovah has already rescued us
from seemingly insurmountable problems?
David was courageous and went to work.
He made practical decisions
with good results.
For example,
when Saul offered David
his own heavy battle gear,
David gave it a try.
But he soon realized
that a copper helmet, a coat of mail,
and a sword strapped over his garment
would only get in his way.
So, what did he do?
In effect,
he simplified!
He got rid of the burden.
What about us?
Over the years,
we might have cluttered our lives
with nonessential possessions
or unnecessary activities.
These things can smother our spirituality.
If that’s true of you, why not go to work?
Take inventory
of your possessions and habits,
and eliminate what’s cumbersome.
By simplifying our life,
we can make it easier
to keep our eye focused
on serving Jehovah.
Like all of us, David wasn’t perfect.
But his courageous and decisive actions
made him Jehovah’s dear friend.
Thus, at the end of his faithful course,
David could with total freeness
of speech tell his son:
“Be courageous and strong
and go to work”!

“Be Courageous and Strong and Go to Work”! (1 Chronicles 28:1-20; 1 Samuel 16:1-23; 17:1-51)