JW subtitle extractor

Welcome to JW Broadcasting®.
What kind of Father is Jehovah?
We’ll learn in this month’s program
and see why we can feel safe and secure
as a part of his family.
We’ll meet a sister who stuck
to her Father, Jehovah,
no matter what bad news
and unexpected trials came her way.
We’ll dig for treasures,
this time in the Bible book of Nahum.
And we’re excited to unveil
two brand-new series
in this month’s program.
The first one highlights
how Jehovah lovingly trains us
when we make ourselves available
for full-time service.
And the second will take you
behind the scenes,
offering a unique glimpse
into various theocratic assignments.
This is JW Broadcasting.
What comes to your mind
when you hear the word “father”?
a loving, affectionate man
with deep concern for his family
or an absent, neglectful,
perhaps even abusive man?
A lot depends on what kind of a man
our father is or was.
Why is the term “father” important to us?
One reason is that the Bible
refers to Jehovah as a Father.
True, the Bible uses many titles
to describe Jehovah,
but Jesus’ frequent use of the term “Father”
highlights how Jehovah wants to be known
by his worshippers.
Similarly, the Bible also uses
many titles to apply to Jesus
—the Master Worker, the Word,
Michael the archangel—
but he’s primarily known as Jehovah’s Son.
And based on Jesus’ ransom sacrifice,
Jehovah also views us,
his imperfect servants,
as his children.
Jehovah desires to have a close, loving,
Father-and-child relationship with you.
The term “Father” highlights
God’s feelings for his worshippers.
Jehovah loves the family arrangement.
Note how the prophet Isaiah
described this at Isaiah 64:8:
“But now, O Jehovah, you are our Father.
“We are the clay, and you are our Potter;
we are all the work of your hand.”
What a beautiful expression:
“Jehovah, you are our Father”!
Regardless of what comes to our mind
when we think of our human father,
Jehovah is a wonderful Father.
His fatherhood is a dominant theme
throughout the Bible.
Did you know
that in the Gospel accounts alone,
we read of Jesus
using the term “Father” over 160 times?
The point?
To Jehovah, we’re family.
The more we comprehend
the kind of Father Jehovah is
—his personality, his affection for us—
the more we’ll love and trust him
as our heavenly Father.
With that in mind,
let’s discuss briefly the foundation
of our relationship with Jehovah.
Please note the first portion
of Genesis 1:26.
Here, Jehovah is discussing with Jesus
the creation of his earthly children:
“Then God said: ‘Let us make man
in our image, according to our likeness.’”
Jehovah made humans in his image.
And that makes sense;
children often share
characteristics of their parents.
So, what characteristics
do we share with Jehovah?
They’re not physical characteristics;
Jehovah is a spirit being.
But 1 John 4:8 gives us a clue:
“Whoever does not love
has not come to know God,
[why?] because God is love.”
We’re made in God’s image
in that we can display his qualities,
such as love—Jehovah’s primary quality.
Jehovah is an affectionate, caring Father
who loves his family.
And as his children, created in his image,
we have the ability to love him
and to feel his love.
Yes, love is the foundation
of our relationship with Jehovah.
So let’s analyze three ways in which
Jehovah shows his love for his children.
First, as a loving Father,
Jehovah cares for us.
At 1 Peter 5:7,
we’re told:
“Throw all your anxiety on him,
because he cares for you.”
Caring for someone can convey the idea
of providing for someone’s physical needs,
which is a good thing.
But is Jehovah’s care limited
to simply providing for physical needs?
No.
Notice what 2 Corinthians 1:3, 4 says:
“Praised be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ,
“[now notice] the Father of tender mercies
“and the God of all comfort,
who comforts us in all our trials.”
Jehovah is “the Father of tender mercies
and the God of all comfort.”
So, yes, Jehovah makes provisions
to care for our physical needs.
But he goes way beyond that.
He becomes emotionally involved
in caring for us.
He comforts us.
Jehovah cares for us physically,
emotionally, and spiritually.
To illustrate, let’s imagine you suffer
a slight injury and you go to the doctor.
He tells you that you need
some medical attention
and assures you
that he’ll take good care of you.
But what if the doctor is not only
an experienced doctor
but he’s also your dad?
Now your treatment
becomes your dad’s priority.
Add to that,
he’s not only going to treat you,
he’ll continue to take care of you every day.
Now, that’s comforting!
For our father, it’s personal; he loves us.
Well, that’s Jehovah.
Yes, Jehovah is a skilled Doctor,
and he’s set a date
for when he will remove pain and suffering.
But Jehovah does so much more.
He’s “the Father of tender mercies
and the God of all comfort.”
He’s personally interested in us,
and he cares for us every day,
both before the end of this system
and every day afterward.
Have you experienced
Jehovah’s tender care and comfort?
Has he cared for you
through your spiritual siblings
—your brothers and sisters
in the congregation
who imitate Jehovah’s love
and tender mercy?
Or perhaps Jehovah strengthened
or comforted you
through a particular Bible account.
Or maybe a specific verse
gave new meaning to one of his promises.
Jehovah’s care for us
is an expression of his love.
And since his love never ends,
his care will never end.
Let’s look at a second way
Jehovah shows that he’s a loving Father.
He allows us to have
open communication with him.
Open communication
is vital for a happy family.
Many families enjoy dinnertime
when everyone is together,
catching up on what happened
during the day.
Earlier, we read in 1 Peter 5
that Jehovah invites us
to ‘throw all our anxiety on him.’
So if he’s in the heavens, how can we
have open communication with him?
By means of prayer.
Prayer is our opportunity
to tell Jehovah what’s important to us
—what makes us anxious,
what makes us happy,
our goals for the future—
and to thank him for all he does.
Jehovah listens to our prayers,
just like a loving human father
listens to his son or daughter.
But Jehovah does more than simply listen
to our prayers;
he answers them.
Jehovah inspired Bible writers
to record his thoughts for us.
When we read and meditate
on the Scriptures,
as well as the spiritual food provided
by “the faithful and discreet slave,”
Jehovah uses his holy spirit
to draw our attention
to what we need to hear,
to direct our thoughts to his thoughts.
He can also use his servants
or ones who are not yet his servants
to answer a prayer.
We want to be alert
to how Jehovah answers our prayers.
We might even keep a list
and review it once in a while.
Why, then, do we sometimes need to wait
for an answer to our prayers?
Does that mean our situation
isn’t important to Jehovah
—that we’re on the bottom of the list,
so to speak?
Of course not!
It could simply mean
that we need to be patient
or perhaps that we
haven’t gotten the answer
we were personally looking for.
Imagine for a moment a family
taking a trip to visit the grandparents.
Dad and Mom know
that the trip takes ten hours.
What’s the first thing the kids ask?
“Are we there yet?”
It’s normal to want to get there
as fast as possible.
But no matter what they do,
the trip will take ten hours.
They’ll get there;
they simply need to be patient
and stay occupied while on the trip.
Well, we pray for the end to come.
Frankly, we’d like the end to come today.
We’re asking Jehovah, so to speak,
“Are we there yet?”
And we should pray for the end to come.
But like the children on the trip,
the answer to our prayer requires patience.
And while patience is needed,
the children aren’t alone on the trip;
the parents are there.
Likewise, though we need patience,
remember that our Father, Jehovah,
is on this trip.
This system will end right on time,
and keeping busy in Jehovah’s service
will help the time pass more quickly.
At other times, we may come to realize
that Jehovah is saying no
to what we’re asking for.
Loving parents sometimes
are required to say no to a request.
Remember the apostle Paul?
He suffered from what he called
“a thorn in the flesh.”
Think about it:
Jehovah empowered Paul
to perform miracles for others.
But in this case, Paul tells us
he prayed “three times”
for this “thorn” to be removed.
And what was the answer?
No.
Jehovah’s response was that
his “undeserved kindness
[was] sufficient.”
Jehovah was not going
to remove the thorn,
but he would give Paul
the power needed to keep going
despite the thorn.
Jehovah will also help us
to endure trials successfully.
And our endurance proves
how much we love
and trust our Father, Jehovah.
Whether we have to wait patiently
for an answer to a prayer
or, like Paul, the answer is no,
we are assured of Jehovah’s love.
Please note what Jehovah
inspired the apostle John
to record at John 14:21.
These are Jesus’ words:
“Whoever has my commandments
and observes them
is the one who loves me.”
Now notice: “In turn, whoever loves me
will be loved by my Father.”
When we do our best
to follow Jesus’ example,
Jehovah says that He loves us.
And when Jehovah tells us
he loves us, he means it.
It’s an amazing privilege
to openly communicate
with our loving Father, Jehovah.
Let’s consider just one more way
in which Jehovah
proves to be a loving Father:
He works hard in behalf of his family.
Any parent can tell you
that raising children is rewarding,
but it’s also hard work.
And that’s true
even when the children behave well.
No doubt a few of us
probably made our parents
work a little harder once in a while.
Just think of a few
of the many things parents do for children.
They provide food, clothing, shelter,
and enjoy time in recreation,
not to mention visits to the doctor,
education, and discipline.
Wait!
Discipline?
We often think of discipline as punishment,
which can be part of disciplining.
But did you know that the Bible
includes guidance,
instruction, and training
along with correction
as a part of discipline?
Discipline is a good thing.
It works in harmony
with education and training.
Jehovah wants us to enjoy life forever.
At times, he disciplines us;
that is, he will guide, instruct,
train, and correct us
so we can make progress
as a spiritual people.
He does this through the Bible,
spiritual food from “the faithful
and discreet slave,”
as well as mature ones
in the congregation.
They help us to hone our spiritual skills.
To be a good parent takes hard work.
And so many of you parents
are doing this work happily.
Jehovah appreciates your efforts.
He too works hard for us.
In fact, as a loving Father,
he’s worked hard in our behalf
for thousands of years.
Just think for a moment
about an aspect of creation that you enjoy:
a beautiful sunset, a delicious meal,
music and singing, fragrant flowers,
getting together with friends and family,
plus all of the spiritual provisions
that we love.
All of these good gifts
come from our Father, Jehovah.
He always works hard
for his family because he loves us.
We began our discussion asking,
What comes to your mind
when you hear the word “father”?
We said the answer depended much
on how our biological father treated us.
What if, for one reason
or another, you are fatherless?
I invite you to read
Jehovah’s warm expression of love for you
found at the 68th Psalm, verse 5:
“A father of the fatherless
“and a protector of widows
is God in his holy dwelling.”
From “his holy dwelling” in the heavens,
Jehovah sees your situation
and specifically mentions you
as an important member of the family.
Note how the scripture says:
“A father of the fatherless
and a protector of widows
is God.”
In other words, Jehovah is telling you:
‘This is part of who I am.
‘I know you don’t have a father
or his support,
‘but you have me.
I am your Father.’
But what if you do have a father or a family
and they oppose you
because you worship Jehovah?
Notice a unique promise for you
at Mark 10:29, 30.
Jesus states: “Truly I say to you,
“no one has left house
or brothers or sisters
“or mother or father or children or fields
“for my sake and for the sake
of the good news
“who will not get 100 times more
now in this period of time
“—houses, brothers, sisters, mothers,
children, and fields,
“with persecutions—
and in the coming system of things,
everlasting life.”
If your parents or other family members
have rejected you because of your faith,
remember, you’re a part
of Jehovah’s family.
Around the globe, literally millions
of Jehovah’s worshippers love you.
And we never lose hope
that your non-Witness family members
will come to know Jehovah
and love him too.
Whatever our personal situation,
as Jehovah’s servants,
we are a part of his amazing family.
Jehovah loves his children,
and he will always love his children.
Soon he’ll end this system
and bring about a new world
where sin will be eliminated
and every other problem will be solved.
Until then, he tenderly cares for our needs;
he listens to and responds to our prayers
one way or the other;
and he works hard in our behalf,
preparing his family for eternal life.
Jehovah does all of this
and much, much more
because he loves his family!
We gratefully echo the words of Isaiah
that we read earlier:
“O Jehovah, you are our Father.”
At 22 years of age,
Sister Bethel Rodish
was looking forward to an assignment
at world headquarters
when a brain tumor changed her plans.
Her story is in the April 22, 1990,
issue of Awake!
Since then, Sister Rodish
has seen even more proof
that, without a doubt,
Jehovah is her Father.
So one morning at the end of September,
I received a phone call from a brother
inviting me to come to Brooklyn
for a three-month temporary assignment,
and I had to apologize
for cutting the phone call short,
but I had a doctor’s appointment
that I needed to get to.
The doctor came
and got me after a few minutes, took me in,
and said: “The film shows
that you have a large brain tumor.
We need to call your family.”
The doctor that did the surgery
was excellent,
and it did take two operations.
After the second surgery,
the doctor was very happy to tell us
that he was able
to completely remove the tumor.
Within a year,
my life was pretty much back on track.
In the spring of 1990, I moved to Brooklyn,
and along the way, I met Bob Rodish.
We got engaged.
We applied to stay at Bethel,
and we were thrilled
when we were accepted to stay.
A couple of years went by,
and we found out we had a baby on the way.
And within a few years,
we had a beautiful family.
We had two children,
and as I was pregnant with the third
(I was just entering my second trimester),
tragedy struck.
We lost our baby.
When we returned from the hospital,
my mother had kept the children,
and she had done us a great favor
in telling them
that the baby was not coming home with us.
And so when we arrived,
the children ran to meet us,
and I couldn’t really talk;
I was too emotional.
But Bob held us in a tight circle,
and he told the children
that the baby had died.
And knowing our children
and the situation we had,
we felt that it would be good to not be harsh
but to be direct
and say that this is what happened
and that these kinds of bad things happen
and that we would then come together
from that point
and begin the healing process as a family.
To come into the bedroom
and see the baby clothes
that I had been sorting
and folding the day before—
And now what was I going to do with them?
About five months after we lost the baby,
we were on the way to the Kingdom Hall,
so I went into the hall,
but I couldn’t hold back the tears,
so I almost immediately turned around
and came back out to the car.
Well, two very dear friends
saw what was happening.
They came out and sat in the car with me,
and they let me talk about the baby,
and they let me talk about my kids.
They listened and held my hand.
They made me laugh,
and pretty soon
we all went back into the hall together.
Jehovah was right by our side.
He provided friends in the congregation,
ones who we knew were very busy
but who would take their Friday evening
and come over and have dinner with us
and just sit and talk about silly things
and congregation things.
But it was very helpful to distract us
from this ever-present, invisible load
that I felt I was carrying.
Experiencing Jehovah’s love
in very specific ways
has made me aware of the need
to show that same love to others.
So whether it’s a text message,
sending them a card,
or saying, “We love you,”
“We care about you,”
“We’re here for you”
is something that I try to do
on a regular basis.
I have been a recipient
of Jehovah’s sustaining power
throughout my life
in very specific ways.
I think we’ve all experienced being too tired
and feeling like,
‘OK, I can’t get up and go in service
or make it to the meeting.’
But when we needed physical energy,
Jehovah helped us with that.
When we needed
the mental and emotional energy,
Jehovah gave us that.
So the verse at Deuteronomy 33:27
became very meaningful:
“God is a refuge from ancient times,
his everlasting arms are beneath you.”
The trials that I have experienced
have taught me that there is nothing
that I cannot get through
with Jehovah’s help.
Cultivating Christian qualities
—like faith—
strengthens us to endure life’s trials,
just as Sister Rodish is doing.
Another way to develop these qualities
is by reaching out for full-time service.
These privileges help us grow spiritually
and refine traits that reflect
our heavenly Father’s personality.
That’s why we’re delighted
to announce a brand-new series,
Full-Time Service
Builds Christian Qualities.
This series will highlight
how theocratic assignments
have helped brothers and sisters
to reflect aspects
of the fruitage of the spirit
in their everyday lives.
We invite you to enjoy the first episode,
Full-Time Service
Builds Christian Qualities—Love.
I grew up in a small town
that was predominantly one culture,
and people had a set way of doing things
and a set way of thinking.
So when I joined
the Kingdom Hall Construction Group,
it was a big change for me
—moving from an environment
where it was just one dominant culture
or tribe
to a variety of languages, cultures,
and tribes.
It helped me to see
that I was restricted in my love,
in showing love to just
that one culture or tribe.
So I realized that there was
a bit of prejudice in me.
I serve in a Kingdom Hall Construction Group,
and it’s such a lovely environment
because we work together,
we live together,
and sometimes we cry together.
It’s a real family.
But joining
the Kingdom Hall Construction Group
meant leaving my comfort zone
—the people that I was used to
in the congregation,
the friends that I had around
where we lived.
I started to feel like I wasn’t getting
the love that I was used to
in my new assignment.
First Corinthians 13:4 showed me
that perhaps I was just showing love
in one form or one facet.
But there was more that I needed to cultivate
in order to show genuine Christian love.
One of the major things
that I’ve learned in the circuit work
coming from another country
is to show love and empathy even more.
For example, a brother would come late
during my talk,
and during the talk
he would start to doze off.
So I’m not saying
that I’m the best speaker in the world.
But the point is that he’s coming late
and he’s dozing off.
I was quite annoyed.
And I knew that
that was unloving on my part
because I have to remember
that this brother works
maybe 12 to 16 hours at work,
six days a week.
Since I don’t have family in the truth,
I view the brothers and sisters as my family.
For the brothers and sisters,
life is challenging
for them to maintain their faith.
I want to get close to them
as fast as possible.
And sometimes
it can get a little bit challenging.
Sometimes I can even get offended.
How come?
Maybe they don’t want to open up so fast.
So then Mike told me:
“Well, you are a bit the same.
It’s difficult for you to express yourself.”
And then I realized:
“Oh, yeah. That’s so true.”
So it’s teaching me
to be patient with the sisters,
to be more loving,
and to really understand them better.
Jehovah is molding all of us.
But I really feel that being
in Kingdom Hall construction projects
really accelerated Jehovah’s molding of me.
I can actually see people
rather than just color, language, or tribe.
Joining the LDC construction group
was almost like Jehovah was saying to me:
“Cebo, you think you know
how to show love.
“You think you know and understand
what real love is,
“but let me show you in a broader sense
what real love is.”
So as we move from place to place,
I’m able to form strong, familylike bonds
no matter where we go.
We both have benefited greatly
being in full-time service.
It really has helped us
to show love in a greater way
—to be empathetic
for our brothers and sisters.
Full-time service has helped me
to love the brothers more
because of having to understand them.
By doing this, it helps me
to have more love for the friends
and even in the marriage now.
Being a better listener
with the sisters in the circuit
helps me to be a better listener
at home as well.
Did you notice some of the benefits
of cultivating brotherly love?
Strong familylike bonds, greater empathy,
understanding,
and patience with one another.
We hope this new series
will motivate all of us
to consider whether we
can make ourselves available
for full-time service assignments.
In our opening discussion,
we said that Jehovah,
as a loving Father, disciplines us.
That often comes in the form of reminders.
In this morning worship,
Brother Troy Snyder
explains how we can have the right view
of Jehovah’s reminders.
What goes through your mind
when you hear these words:
“by way of reminder,”
“let me remind you,”
or “as a reminder”?
Do you just tune out?
Do you think,
‘Well, this is not new information’?
Or maybe you get irritated
because you’re being reminded
of something that you haven’t done.
Or we may even feel inadequate
because in some way we’re being told
we don’t measure up.
Well, Jehovah’s reminders are different,
and we have to view them differently.
Let’s open our Bible to Psalm 119,
and notice the effect and power
of Jehovah’s reminders.
Psalm 119 and notice verses 2 and 3.
It says: “Happy are those
who observe his reminders,
“who search for him with all their heart.
“They practice no unrighteousness;
they walk in his ways.”
Yes, we’re happy
when we heed Jehovah’s reminders.
They deepen our understanding.
They expand our viewpoint.
They strengthen our determination
to stay on course.
Just like verse 3 says,
it helps us to do what is right,
to walk in Jehovah’s ways.
And it’s his reminders
that really help us in times of distress.
Yes, Jehovah’s reminders
are like signposts on a busy highway.
They direct us where we need to go
amid a chaotic world.
They reassure us
that we’re on the right path,
and if we get off, his reminders
help us get right back on course.
Now, today’s Scripture text
is an example of Jehovah’s reminders.
Let’s open there to 1 Peter chapter 2,
and let’s read the entire thing as well
and part of verse 14 together.
First Peter chapter 2
—and notice the reminder given.
It says: “For the Lord’s sake
subject yourself to every human creation,
“whether to a king as being superior
“or to governors as sent by him
to punish wrongdoers
but to praise those who do good.”
This was a reminder
for the first-century Christians
to remain neutral,
to stay subject to governments
as placed in their position by Jehovah.
Now, this wasn’t new light.
No, this was a reminder.
See, they understood Jesus’ words
about the Kingdom
and supporting God’s Kingdom.
They understood Jesus’ example
of paying “Caesar’s things to Caesar”
and “God’s things to God.”
They were aware of the apostles’ statement
that we “obey God as ruler rather than men.”
So why did they need this reminder?
Well, it was going to help them
in a very divisive world.
They were facing a situation
where many were taking sides
and the pressure would mount upon them,
and they needed to be reminded
to maintain their neutrality.
And you notice
how this principle helped them?
Look back there at verse 13.
It says: “For the Lord’s sake.”
So it elevated their thinking.
It reminded them
that being subject to the government
doesn’t mean that we’re supporting
their policies or wars.
It just means we respect Jehovah
and that he’s put them in their place,
and we’ll wait for him
to make the adjustments.
It helped them,
not to undermine the government,
but to stay focused on the Kingdom
and to preach and share
the good news of the Kingdom.
Now, this was, really,
a series of reminders.
A few years earlier,
the letter to the Romans was received
where it outlined to the Christians
the superior authority (that principle)
and how ones were to conduct themselves
with governments.
This was also about the same time
the letter to Titus was received,
which reminded the Christians
to remain subject to government.
All these reminders were helping them
to stay neutral
and to stay on Jehovah’s side of the matter.
This was also very helpful
because persecution
was about to break out,
persecution directed to the Christians.
And by them heeding this reminder,
they would be helped by Jehovah.
And notice how
that’s brought out in verse 15.
At 1 Peter 2:13, 14,
we’re told to be subject
to the governments.
Notice verse 14: “For it is the will of. . .”
(verse 15): “For it is the will of God
that by doing good
you may silence the ignorant talk
of unreasonable men.”
Yes, by them heeding the reminder,
Jehovah would be able
to use their conduct
to help them to continue
in their worship to him,
to help them in that difficult situation.
Now, we know that must have proved true
in the first century.
That same principle is proving true today.
For example, our brothers and sisters
in one country
experienced, or received,
the reminders to stay neutral.
Shortly afterward,
a violent civil war broke out.
They heeded that reminder.
They stayed neutral,
and they stayed subject
to the government.
Now, after the war had ended,
the government,
in an effort to try to unify its people,
put in several laws.
One of them included that when you register
for your wedding, or your marriage,
you would have to engage
in a ceremony including the flag.
It violated the brothers’ neutral stand.
What would they do?
Well, they went
to the government officials
and explained to them that during
the civil war, they remained neutral.
The government officials
were aware of their stance
and respected it.
One of them said,
“We don’t want to do this to you.”
And shortly afterward,
they rewrote the law
that did not require them
to violate their neutrality
all because of their good conduct
and heeding Jehovah’s reminders.
Now, we’re receiving reminders
on a regular basis as Jehovah’s people.
Just think of our Governing Body Updates.
Recently, we’ve been reminded
to set personal goals in our ministry
and to preach wherever people are
because we love people.
It’s an excellent reminder.
When we heed it, we’re happy, aren’t we?
We were given the reminder
of how Jehovah views
those who have sinned
or strayed away from worship to him
and what we can do to cooperate with Jehovah
and welcome them back.
That broadened our viewpoint
of those principles.
It was a good reminder.
We were reminded
about our dress and grooming,
that even though we have
a variety of styles and times have changed,
our dress and grooming
still needs to dignify
Jehovah and his worship.
We’re reminded to pray for those
who are imprisoned for their faith.
And we were given a reminder that if we
are persecuted or we’re ever imprisoned,
to keep preaching the good news.
And most recently, we were reminded
about our need to stay neutral,
just like our first-century
Christian brothers and sisters.
Why?
Because we live in a very divisive world.
Ones are taking sides
on different policies,
politics, and social issues.
Here’s what the update said:
‘The Governing Body shares
these important reminders
because Satan is pressuring
Jehovah’s people to take sides.’
Then we were reminded
to look at the principles in the book
Scriptures For Christian Living,
especially under the “Governments” tab.
Doing so would solidify
those principles in our heart
and would help us give a response
to those who demand it of us;
it’d help us stay unified
as Jehovah’s people.
Now, as full-time servants,
we get a lot of reminders.
We’re reminded to be forgiving
to our brothers and sisters.
We’re reminded
that when there’s a conflict
between us and another department
or another person
that we seek peace so we stay unified.
We’re happy
when we heed those reminders.
We’re given a reminder
to read our Bible every day.
Why is that?
Because we’re busy
and we need to be reminded
to let Jehovah talk to us each day
through our Bible reading.
As overseers, we’re reminded
that our most important role
is to shepherd ones.
Well, why are we given that reminder?
Because at times
we can get focused on tasks
and forget about Jehovah’s sheep.
And we’ve been reminded
that when we have feelings of worthlessness,
we need to fight back
and Jehovah loves us.
He sees the best in us,
he’s merciful toward us,
he holds us and is close
to those with a broken heart.
Yes, when we hear Jehovah’s reminders,
we don’t want to ignore them.
We want to pay close attention to them.
In fact, notice what the psalmist said
at Psalm 119:111.
It says: “I take your reminders
as my permanent possession,
for they are the joy of my heart.”
Yes, Jehovah’s reminders make us happy.
They keep us unified.
They help us walk in his way
and stay close to him.
Those are excellent reminders
on how to view Jehovah’s reminders.
When we listen to Jehovah,
we’ll grow spiritually.
Our desire to serve our brothers
will grow too.
Have you ever wondered what it’s like
to have a theocratic assignment?
Even if you’ve already experienced
that privilege,
have you imagined
stepping into a different form of service?
We’re happy to announce another series,
which will bring those experiences to life.
It’s called A Day in the Life of . . .
Each episode will take you
behind the scenes,
offering a glimpse
into the daily routines
and heartfelt efforts of brothers and sisters
from around the world
in a wide range of assignments.
This month we’ll kick off the series
with A Day in the Life of a Translator.
Hi, I’m Han Na Kim.
I work as a translator
on the Korean Sign Language team.
The Translation Department
translates spiritual food
from English into various assigned languages.
We try to use expressions that are accurate,
easy to understand, and natural.
And in the case of sign-language translation,
it’s a process of turning text into video.
We use our hands and facial expressions
to visually convey ideas.
Right now, I’m reading
the material we’ll be translating today,
thinking about how to structure the flow
of it and what the key ideas are
and analyzing how best
to express it in sign language.
Being a translator
requires strong language skills.
In my case,
I thought I was fairly good at sign language,
so I jumped into translation work
pretty confidently.
But the more I learned,
the more I realized how much I lacked.
During my training, I started paying
more attention to grammar and structure,
to what signs
deaf people actually use,
and to materials in other languages.
This helped me learn how to convey ideas
more fluently and clearly.
Each translation team
usually consists of a group of three members.
Together we are responsible
for translating and checking
whether the translation
is accurate and natural.
Since you can’t write down sign language,
we record the translated content on video.
Today, we’re translating material
about whales.
But each of us uses
a slightly different sign for whale,
so we’re discussing which version
is most widely understood and used.
Sometimes it’s hard to think
of the right expression while translating.
When that happens,
the team brainstorms together,
and when we find the perfect expression
that everyone agrees on,
it really feels like Jehovah is helping us.
It’s such a great feeling.
Our language team has brothers and sisters
from all kinds of backgrounds.
We work together,
go to the meetings together,
and share
in congregation activities together.
We really are like a family.
One, two, go!
Recently, the translation process
has been streamlined,
so translators are now handling the filming
and the editing themselves.
At first, it felt difficult and overwhelming
and I worried whether I could do it well,
but thanks to the training and support,
I’m learning eagerly.
Three, four—OK, it looks good!
My roommate, Hyun Ji, and I
work in the same department,
attend the same congregation,
and even share a room.
I love that I can share
and talk about everything with her.
When I translate, I don’t think
about how the content applies to me
but, rather, I focus on how to naturally
express the translation in sign language.
Later, when the translation is released
and I personally study the publication,
I think about what Jehovah
is trying to tell me
and how I can apply the teachings.
Even publications I reviewed
repeatedly during translation
can sometimes feel new
and different during personal study.
I’ve realized that I need to take time
to really make spiritual food my own
for it to really benefit me.
My parents are deaf,
so I learned sign language from a young age.
While working as a translator,
I was really moved by how many
brothers and sisters are working hard
for the sake of a few deaf ones.
I am deeply touched by the love and care
of our heavenly Father.
I’m determined to do my best when translating
so that deaf ones can easily understand
the material
and so that it can reach their hearts.
Being able to help brothers and sisters
who use sign language
gives me great joy and fulfillment.
Seeing my parents benefit and draw closer
to Jehovah makes me especially happy.
I’m so happy to work as a translator
and witness firsthand the works
God is accomplishing.
I hope others can also experience the joy
of this special service.
Sister Kim made an especially vital point:
Even though she works
with spiritual food in her assignment,
she still needs to take time for study
to be nourished by that same spiritual food.
That’s an excellent reminder for all of us
who are busy in a theocratic assignment.
Young ones, we hope that this series
will add to your motivation
to reach out to do Jehovah’s work.
Our music video highlights
another beautiful aspect
of Jehovah’s spiritual family.
Whether we’re sharing the good news
with a neighbor
or encouraging someone
in the congregation,
we aim to give a word at the right time.
Words—they can heal;
they can break our heart,
Pull us together,
or push us apart.
Just like a fire,
our words we can tame.
It’s up to us
how we will use this flame,
’Cause
Oh, how good it is to hear
A word at the right time;
it’s music to the ears,
Sweet to the soul,
a healing to the bones!
Just a word or two
can taste like honeycomb.
So let us use this gift
and spread love like we should.
A word at the right time—
oh, how good!
The air of this world
we cannot consume.
To think like Jehovah,
we must feed on what is true
Then out of our heart,
the right words will spring.
Don’t hold back;
think of the joy it brings!
’Cause
Oh, how good it is to hear
A word at the right time;
it’s music to the ears,
Sweet to the soul,
a healing to the bones!
Just a word or two
can taste like honeycomb.
So let us use this gift
and spread love like we should.
A word at the right time—
oh, how good!
Oh, how good
it is to hear
A word at the right time;
it’s music to the ears,
Sweet to the soul,
a healing to the bones!
Just a word or two
can taste like honeycomb.
So let us use this gift
and spread love like we should.
A word at the right time—
oh, how good!
It’s time to dig for treasures!
The Bible book of Nahum
is the seventh in this series
where we dig deep
into the 12 minor prophets.
See what gems you can apply
or ways you’d like to dig
for your own spiritual treasures.
I love getting together
to dig into our weekly reading.
The book of Nahum contains fundamental
Bible principles.
I agree, and it speaks
to Jehovah’s sovereignty
and the sanctification of his name.
Then let’s dive in!
You know, one of the recommendations
from the faithful slave
is to read the Bible slowly
with a healthy dose of curiosity.
Yeah, that’s such a good point.
Speed is an enemy.
Yes.
For example, chapter 1, verse 1:
“A pronouncement against Nineveh . . . ”
Wait, could we stop right there?
Nineveh—this is familiar, isn’t it?
Mm-hmm.
Jehovah had already sent a prophet there:
Jonah.
And we know what he thought
of that assignment.
The Assyrians were terrifying,
so Jonah ran away.
Exactly.
So I can only imagine what might
have been running through Nahum’s mind
as Jehovah began giving him this message.
I wonder what his reaction was like.
I can imagine he was anxious,
which makes sense when you
do some digging on Nineveh.
I used the Index
and looked under the heading “Nineveh”
and under the subheading “City of Bloodshed.”
Good tip!
Use the Index
to look up additional information.
One Index reference
quoted a scholar who wrote
that “boys and girls were burned alive . . .
“Men were impaled, flayed alive, blinded,
“or deprived of their hands and feet,
of their ears and noses.”
That’s horrific!
Anxious might be an understatement.
But I doubt it was just Nahum.
Looking at the timeline,
it seems this prophecy
was given during the reign of King Josiah.
He enacted an aggressive campaign
to rid the land of false worship.
So I wonder if Josiah and the Israelites were
anxious as they were
getting back to pure worship of Jehovah
especially because Assyria
was still the superpower at the time.
Anything they wanted to do, they did.
Yes.
So did the Israelites worry
that all those reforms
would just end up provoking the Assyrians?
Did they wonder if they would be
the next ones to get skinned alive
like those in Samaria?
I mean, imagine if that was our daughter.
But look at what Jehovah does in verse 3.
He draws the attention
to how he exercises his sovereignty.
He reassures them that he is “slow to anger”
but “great in power.”
I did a search, and this is
one of the only places in the Scriptures
where Jehovah directly links
his slowness to anger
with his great power.
Hmm.
It seems like Jehovah wanted them
to focus on his power and way of ruling
and not the Assyrian threat.
How reassuring!
Then Jehovah goes further,
and in verse 15, he says:
“Celebrate your festivals, O Judah,
“pay your vows, for the worthless one
“will never pass through you again.
He will be utterly destroyed.”
Jehovah is saying:
‘I haven’t destroyed Assyria yet,
‘but keep worshipping me without fear.
Celebrate.’
Hmm, yeah.
‘You can trust me.’
Exactly.
And he eventually showed his awesome power
by destroying Nineveh so completely
that critics thought it
never existed in the first place.
Ah! What a relief
that must have been for Josiah and Nahum
and all of Jehovah’s people back then!
They would be able to worship Jehovah
happily and in peace.
Focusing on Jehovah’s way of ruling
took them from anxiety to confidence.
Oh, that’s a beautiful gem.
Let me make a note of that.
Jehovah’s way of ruling gives us confidence.
Yeah.
And maybe that gem can become a treasure
by connecting it
to our relationship with Jehovah.
Yes.
How Jehovah exercises his sovereignty
reveals the Person behind the sovereignty.
I keep coming back to that simple statement:
“Jehovah is slow to anger
and great in power.”
With humans,
that usually works the opposite way.
So if Jehovah
is slow to anger with his enemies,
even cruel and violent opposers like Assyria,
won’t he be the same with me?
I know that when I make mistakes,
my tendency is to feel like
Jehovah instantly writes me off,
but meditating on this account
helps me to see Jehovah
as a loving, patient Father.
He is slow to anger with me
—it’s an expression of his love for me.
That gives me confidence
in my relationship with him.
I love that.
Sometimes we are our own worst critics.
Our inner thoughts can be so cruel
and relentless, but that’s not Jehovah.
So that makes me think,
‘Since Jehovah is slow to anger with me,
shouldn’t I be as well?’
Sometimes I need to work hard to force
my inner voice to reflect Jehovah’s feelings.
And what if a person
has a measure of authority
in the family or congregation?
I can ask myself: ‘Am I slow to anger?
‘How does Jehovah feel?
‘If I were quick to anger,
who would I remind him of?’
Oh, that’s a good point.
I’ve also been thinking of Jehovah’s power.
Israel had no reason to fear.
Assyria’s power was nothing
compared to Jehovah’s.
So even though you and I
are surrounded by Satan’s frightening world,
we have nothing to fear.
Jehovah uses his strength in my behalf.
So when trials come my way,
I want to remember
to focus on Jehovah’s way of ruling.
Then I won’t be afraid
of comparing myself with the trial;
instead I’ll compare the trial with Jehovah
and gain confidence.
I agree.
I also make it a point to read
the experiences on jw.org.
Seeing how our brothers and sisters
are enduring
persecution right now
gives me confidence that Jehovah
will help me do the same
and support me
in doing my part to endure persecution.
Their examples are a testament
to how Jehovah’s power is active today.
He really is
“slow to anger and great in power.”
OK, let me make sure
I have my notes together.
Read slowly and be curious,
use the Index
to look up additional information,
and look for the Person
behind the sovereignty.
There’s still so much here,
like, How does the fulfillment of the details
leading to Nineveh’s destruction
from Nahum’s prophecy
build our faith?
Then, can we keep going?
I also found . . .
In this program,
we’ve been assured
that we have the most loving Father
in the universe—Jehovah God.
And it’s worth all the effort
to be a part of his spiritual family.
We cultivate the Christian quality of love
to form the “perfect bond of union”
with our brothers and sisters.
We build ourselves up spiritually,
which enables us to take on assignments
that support the organization
and the Kingdom work.
And when we endure unexpected trials,
we never lose faith
that Jehovah is our Father and our Rock.
Finally, this month’s postcard
comes from Gabon,
on the west coast of Central Africa.
Sometimes called Africa’s Eden,
Gabon’s natural wonders
include rainforests
that cover about 85 percent of the country
and the majestic Kongou Falls.
In the Loango National Park,
you might catch a glimpse of elephants
strolling along the shoreline.
These forest elephants
are an endangered species,
and Gabon has
the world’s largest population.
Gabon is also home to gorillas,
colorful mandrills,
and thousands of chimpanzees.
Abundant wildlife
can also be found in Gabon’s marine waters.
These host over 20 species
of dolphins and whales,
giving whale watchers an opportunity
to witness
these majestic creatures up close.
But don’t get too close
to the Gaboon viper.
It has the longest fangs
of any venomous snake,
up to five centimeters,
or two inches, in length.
The good news is that it has
a calm nature and rarely bites people.
The capital city, Libreville, was founded
in the 19th century by freed slaves.
It’s known
for its modern architecture, parks,
and beautiful beaches.
On the southeastern side of the country
is Franceville,
the gateway to natural wonders
like the Poubara Falls.
In 1957, two brothers
from Congo (Brazzaville)
passed through southern Gabon
in search of work.
There they preached
to Antoine Moubanga.
He made rapid progress
and was baptized in June 1957,
becoming the first Witness of Jehovah
in Gabon.
About that same time,
Witnesses from Congo
who were working
for a construction company
moved to Gabon.
Along with Brother Moubanga,
they began preaching
and holding meetings
in a rented wood cabin.
On Saturday afternoons,
the brothers set up outdoor benches
for public talks,
earning them the nickname
The Religion of [the] Benches.
In 1964, the Kingdom work
was registered,
and missionaries
later arrived in the country.
To reach as many as possible,
they’d broadcast Bible talks
on the radio every Sunday.
Then, suddenly, in April 1970,
the government banned
the preaching work,
expelled the missionaries,
and prohibited meetings.
During the ban, our brothers and sisters
showed exceptional zeal.
They held meetings and entire
convention programs at night in secret.
Over the years, conditions improved.
The brothers were able
to build Kingdom Halls,
hold assemblies and conventions,
and eventually began broadcasting
another radio program.
The program became so popular
that it was highlighted
in a national newspaper in 2004.
One of the brothers
who presented the show
said that people
sometimes recognized his voice,
and this led to several Bible studies.
Today, over 4,600 publishers
actively spread the good news.
They conduct more than
8,000 Bible studies
in several languages,
including French,
Fang, Myene,
Punu, Nzebi, and Teke.
And just recently,
28 young brothers and sisters
attended the first SKE class
held in Gabon.
The class was held at
an expandable Kingdom Hall
in Okala, Libreville.
The 116 zealous publishers
in the Okala Congregation
recently reported a peak
of more than 140 studies,
and 287 attended the Memorial.
Our brothers and sisters
in the Okala Congregation
send their warm love to all of you.
From the World Headquarters
of Jehovah’s Witnesses,
this is JW Broadcasting.

JW Broadcasting—May 2026