Welcome to JW Broadcasting®! In this program, we’re going to talk about family. What does the word “family” mean to you? How can you build a closer relationship with members of your family? We’ll unearth several treasures in the book of Zephaniah that show us how deeply Jehovah desires a close relationship with his people. We’ll enjoy a new whiteboard animation that includes suggestions on how to make family worship an occasion that is both memorable and enjoyable. And our music video will reassure us that even if we’re no longer able to do what we once did in Jehovah’s service, our heavenly Father still values us dearly. There is so much to look forward to in this episode of JW Broadcasting. The theme of this month’s program is “Protect the Family Spirit.” It touches our hearts when we see families with members who enjoy each other’s company. It’s heartwarming to see parents with their children serving Jehovah. However, the Scriptures foretold a vicious attack on the family institution. Under inspiration, the apostle Paul foretells the following in 1 Timothy 4:1: “The inspired word clearly says that in later times “some will fall away from the faith, “paying attention to misleading inspired statements and teachings of demons.” The Bible makes it clear that demonic teachings are designed to undermine the family structure. In chapter 3 of his second letter to Timothy, he states that in the last days, prevalent conditions would include ‘disobedience to parents, ‘disloyalty, not being open to any agreement, and absence of natural affection.’ Our program will deepen our appreciation as to why we should feel moved to protect the family spirit. Really, our determination is (1) to show our love for Jehovah and (2) to be resolved to fight against Satan’s effort to destroy an institution that originates with Jehovah. Why would Satan make such a determined effort to dismantle the family structure? It’s because family is an arrangement of God. And Satan would love to undermine or even destroy any arrangement that comes from our God, Jehovah. We have compelling reasons to reject that thinking and to fight hard to protect our family spirit. You see, Jehovah went to extraordinary lengths to provide a suitable environment or human families. Let’s consider how the family arrangement came into existence. As we know, for an untold period of time, Jehovah was alone. However, out of love, he desired to share the gift of life. After creating Jesus in his prehuman existence, Jehovah used him to bring into existence all other creatures. Colossians 1:16 says: “By means of him [his beloved Son] “all other things were created in the heavens and on the earth, “the things visible and the things invisible, whether they are thrones or lordships or governments or authorities.” Jesus’ existence as a spirit creature likely began billions of years prior to the creation of the first human. This firstborn spirit Son was used by his Father in creation of all other things. This includes millions of other spirit sons of Jehovah, angels. They became God’s heavenly family, each doing his assigned part. Jehovah, in effect, became “married,” or forever attached to, this universal heavenly organization, binding it to himself. By the use of his powerful holy spirit, Jehovah did something marvelous. He created matter, something material, a physical object. This was likely to the wonder of the angels. Modern science recognizes that energy can be turned into matter. Jehovah is able to turn his energy into physical matter on a grand scale. The immensity of the universe that man has thus far been able to discern with his telescopes gives a slight concept of the inexhaustible source of energy to be found in Jehovah God. In addition, the precision of the physical universe reflects God’s orderliness. On the first creative day, likely a period of thousands of years, he caused diffused light to penetrate the earth’s atmosphere. The earth is described as being covered with water and a dense mantle of vapor. So on the second day, he caused these two elements to be separated, creating a gap between them. On the third day, he caused surface water to subside and dry ground to appear. On the fourth day, the sun and moon were made discernible from the earth’s surface. On the fifth day, God created underwater creatures and flying creatures with the ability to procreate within their kinds. Then on the sixth day, land animals, both large and small, were created. That period culminates with the purpose of his starting this creative process, the creation of the first human couple. The Genesis account says at Genesis 1:27: “And God went on to create the man in his image, “in God’s image he created him; male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:31 reads: “After that God saw everything he had made, “and look! it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, a sixth day.” Insight on the Scriptures explains that: “During the ‘evening,’ or beginning, “of each creative period, or ‘day,’ “God’s purpose for that day, “though fully known to him, “would be indistinct to any angelic observers.... “When the ‘morning’ arrived “there would be full light as to what God had purposed for that day, it having been accomplished by that time.” Just think of all the effort God put in to create a home for the first human family! To help humans understand, Jehovah refers to himself as a husband, and his organization is likened to his wife. Under inspiration, the prophet Isaiah says at Isaiah 54:5: “For your Grand Maker is as your husband, Jehovah of armies is his name.” What an amazing privilege we have to be part of an arrangement designed by Jehovah God himself, reflecting how his own heavenly family is organized! Ephesians 3:14, 15 says: “For this reason I bend my knees to the Father, “to whom every family in heaven and on earth owes its name.” The human family is a marvelous reflection of God’s divine arrangement in the heavens. Satan despises Jehovah and his arrangements. His crafty acts are meant to disrupt and undermine this divine arrangement. When some of the angels abandoned God’s family, making themselves demons, they put themselves under Satan’s control. The Watchtower of May 2018 states: “These rebels, however, “are not just a mob of troublemakers. “Satan has set up an imitation of God’s Kingdom, “with himself as king. “In the invisible realm, “Satan has organized the demons into governments, given them authority, and made them world rulers.” Think of the intense frontal attacks they make on families during these “critical times.” Homosexuality, unscriptural divorces, couples having sex outside of marriage, and the increasing acceptance of these things aren’t just fads. Really, they are the result of demonic teachings. Additionally, abortion, child abuse, and lack of affection are just some of the things that undermine Jehovah’s family arrangement. Satan also uses subtle ways to undermine Jehovah’s arrangement. He preys on our imperfections and emotions. And unless we diligently strive to apply Bible principles rather than give in to contentious human reactions, we’ll play into his hands. Let’s read James 3:14-16: “But if you have bitter jealousy and contentiousness in your hearts, “do not be bragging and lying against the truth. “This is not the wisdom that comes down from above; “it is earthly, animalistic, demonic. “For wherever there are jealousy “and contentiousness, there will also be disorder and every vile thing.” This is the spirit that Satan and his demon hordes have created that plays on our imperfect reaction to matters. Also, this system can rob us of valuable time that could be spent with family members. Parents have the challenge of making time for their children. Parents, you are the most important gift you can give to your child. Husbands and wives can be so caught up in the matters of this life in this system that they can unintentionally lose affection for one another. In other cases, a mate may take on the traits of this world, abusing their spouse or even their children. But what about you and me? Are we determined to protect the family arrangement in spite of the spirit that pervades this world? Jehovah’s organization has not left us defenseless. The Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses has provided an abundance of Bible-based material to help us in our fight against Satan and his demon hordes. As Jehovah’s people, we can meet the challenge we face by humbly looking to Jehovah and applying the principles of God’s Word. Proverbs 3:5-7 says: “Trust in Jehovah with all your heart, “and do not rely on your own understanding. “In all your ways take notice of him, “and he will make your paths straight. “Do not become wise in your own eyes. Fear Jehovah and turn away from bad.” To protect the family spirit, we need to listen to Jehovah’s admonition and then act on it. At Isaiah 30:21, he says: “And your own ears will hear a word behind you saying, “‘This is the way. Walk in it,’ “in case you should go to the right or in case you should go to the left.” Note that Isaiah makes two statements. The first is: “This is the way,” and the second is: “Walk in it.” It’s not enough to know “the way.” We also need to “walk in it,” that is, to apply his principles and laws. But what about those of you who are not part of a literal family unit? You too are part of a family arrangement. How so? In the Bible, the account of Naomi and Ruth is an example of what makes a family. Ruth could easily have reasoned that she had a family there in Moab —a mother and other relatives who would take a young widow in and help provide for her. But Ruth “kept dwelling with her mother-in-law.” Were Ruth and Naomi somehow less than a family? Some assume that there must be someone to fill each role —husband, wife, son, daughter, grandparent, and so forth— for a family to be real. But the examples of Ruth and Naomi remind us that servants of Jehovah can open their hearts and make even the smallest of families glow with warmth, kindness, and love. Do you appreciate the spiritual family you have? Jesus reminded his followers that the Christian congregation provides a family even for those who have no literal family. At Mark 10:29, 30: “Jesus said: ‘Truly I say to you, “‘no one has left house or brothers or sisters “‘or mother or father or children... “‘for my sake and for the sake of the good news “ who will not get 100 times more now in this period of time... “‘brothers, sisters, mothers, children.’” Because of our close spiritual ties within God’s household, we often address one another as brother and sister. So we want to be loyal to our spiritual family, as Jesus was. What he said at Mark 3:35 gives us his view of family: “Whoever does the will of God, this one is my brother and sister and mother.” Contribute to the love of your spiritual family: ‘Imitate your Father, as beloved children, and go on walking in love,’ as is mentioned at Ephesians 5:1, 2. As part of a congregation, we must work hard to maintain the family spirit. In these evil days, we need “to pay more than the usual attention” to the Scriptures so that we will not be overtaken by the customs and spirit of this wicked system of things. Guard against subtle influences of the world that develop cliques, or a circle of friends that excludes others. We should endeavor not to harbor resentment against someone who may have offended us in some way. After all, these things can happen among us imperfect people. When we try to rise above such things, we’ll be protecting the familylike spirit of Jehovah’s organization, something that Satan would love to destroy. Soon this world and Satan and the demons will be gone, eliminating all threats to the family arrangement. We are being prepared now as prospective members of a united universal family. The publication entitled God’s “Eternal Purpose” Now Triumphing for Man’s Good makes a profound statement, saying: “It was God’s original unalterable purpose “to have all this Paradise earth “filled with perfect righteous men and women, “these to live here forever and ever “in peaceful loving relationship with the heavenly Father “as members of his universal family “of heaven and earth, members of His universal organization.” Our prayer is that we all attain that goal by protecting our family spirit today. Family worship is a great way to strengthen both your love for Jehovah and for your family members. But how can we make a time the whole family looks forward to? Take note of the following suggestions. We have so much to do and so little time. There are so many things competing for our attention. Wait! It’s Family Worship night! But what’s your family worship like? Hmm, how can you make your family worship enjoyable and memorable? It takes good planning, and that can be challenging because everyone in the family has unique needs. So ask yourself: ‘What does my family need? ‘support with managing peer pressure? ‘help with improving their attention span? or assistance in the ministry?’ Children’s attention spans vary. You might need a brief session one week for a younger child and a longer one the next week for an older child. Also consider: ‘What do my children enjoy doing? How might I use that to teach Bible principles?’ This may, at first, seem challenging. So how can you do it? Proverbs 15:22 tells us: “There is accomplishment through many advisers.” Let’s get some advice from those who have rich memories of family worship when they were growing up. Our father often brought us to gaze at the night sky. Dad would say, “These are the same constellations Job saw.” We researched the universe, but the focus wasn’t the what or the where but the why. This is a way Jehovah tells me who he is, and I couldn’t help but be drawn to Him. Even now when I pray, I feel as though I’m crossing this vast universe to bow before Jehovah’s universal throne. They impressed in me an awe of the miracle of prayer. When I was a younger teen, I sometimes felt embarrassed to share the way I felt about certain things. My family started to incorporate a family discussion into our family worship, and this was the perfect time to be able to be in a relaxed environment and share the way I was feeling about stuff. Family worship can be challenging. My husband is not in the truth, so I’m the spiritual head of the family. So I have to do family worship with the kids. And the kids have different ages and maturity levels and learning styles. So I have to do topics that are captivating and interesting so that they can have fun, and at the same time, learn. We love to use The Good News According to Jesus video series in our family worship. It’s had a great impact on our family, but especially on my daughter, Mikayla, who is 13 years old. When we start watching the video series, I like to— As we watch the program, I like to pause it and say, “Mikayla, was there anything that you saw that would apply to you or something that could help us in the ministry?” This video series has really benefited my son, Zion, in an amazing way. So we were watching the video, and we stopped the video. He was, like: “Mom, this really tells me that Jehovah— he went all out. “He really wants us to learn about his Son. “And I really want to learn about Him, “and I want to have a better relationship with Jesus. “I’m going to do personal study. I’m going to make it a serious personal study.” And this is coming from a boy, mind you, that doesn’t like reading or writing for that matter. But when it comes to this, just seeing him so motivated to want to do personal study to get closer to Jesus, it was amazing! I just loved it so much! My parents helped me to strengthen my relationship with Jehovah by making family worship something fun. We’d play games, and we’d be able to know how to react in challenging situations to leave a good witness. Being able to choose what we did for family worship made me feel like I was contributing to the family worship, and it made me feel really good. We don’t want our watching of the videos to be just something to watch. We want to make sure that when we do watch a video series, it’s meaningful and we can apply it in our daily lives. This way we can share appreciation for what we’re learning. So it’s just not watching a video, but it’s learning and applying. We often laughed so hard during family worship. And we would say, “We’re always going to remember how much fun we had during family worship.” Wow! So many creative ideas! Don’t feel that you have to make it a big production each week. You can keep things simple. Consider the spiritual needs of each member of your family. Connect what they enjoy doing with Bible principles. And don’t forget to make it enjoyable. Your family worship will reach their hearts and strengthen their relationship with Jehovah in ways they’ll never forget. Did you note a suggestion or two that might improve your family worship? Be assured that Jehovah appreciates your efforts to draw close to him by worshipping together as a family. At some point, though, each member of a family must make the decision to serve the true God. Note what helped three young people develop an intimate relationship with their heavenly Father. I’ve always been shy. It wasn’t easy for me to talk to people. When I started studying with Jehovah’s Witnesses, my friends were shocked. At a young age, I wanted to become a publisher, but the elders said that they couldn’t make me a publisher. I became really bitter. My connection with Jehovah did not exist at all. I became stagnant for a period of almost five years. When you have that bitterness inside you, you’re not a fun person to be around. I didn’t look forward to going to the meetings or the assemblies; I didn’t have any friends there. Now my spiritual progress wasn’t— I wasn’t moving forward. As I progressed with my Bible study, I was given the opportunity to move abroad and pursue additional education. My relatives tried to convince me to take this opportunity. They said: “This is an opportunity for you to get a proper education, “so take it! Do not miss out on that; you’ll regret it later.” I was confused. Because of this, my spiritual progress slowed down. The Bible truth in Psalm 103 really shed a light for me, and it made me see Jehovah in a different way. It felt warm from within, coming to know Jehovah as a loving, compassionate, and very caring Father. I always wanted to have that father who would be there and with whom I could be able to go and talk to whenever I had a challenge. When I read Isaiah 48:17, it showed me that Jehovah had become that Father for me. There was this time when I came home from school, I was sad and I was feeling lonely. Then I went on my phone, and I checked the JW Library® app, and I saw that there was this new video. The video was From Sad to Glad. When I watched it, I could relate. It really helped me a lot at the time. It felt like Jehovah was seeing the things that I was going through. He’s like a Father who is always ready to help and even provides the help that I need at any time. When I read Genesis 39:2, I was reminded of Joseph’s story. It says: “But Jehovah was with Joseph. As a result, he became successful.” So Joseph was not successful because he went to a prestigious school but because he stayed faithful to Jehovah and kept his faith. I realized that instead of pursuing additional education abroad, I needed to work on my relationship with Jehovah. After meditating on these scriptures, I decided not to move abroad and pursue additional education. Instead, I learned the auto mechanic trade. For the first time in that period of five years, I prayed. We had been praying in the meetings; we had been praying in my Bible study. But this was the first time that I went to Jehovah willingly, and it was a very emotional prayer for me. I told myself that all of this compassion, all of this love—I want to bask in it. I want to feel what it says there, so I decided to take that leap. I went back to the same elders —but this time after a lot of prayer asking Jehovah to lighten my heart, to see them as he sees them. And I was made a publisher, and I started working toward my goal to become baptized and become a Witness. I started to read the Bible often, and I also now started being regular at the meetings. It helped me to now make the decision to get baptized and to reach that goal. I’ve been able to make friends and also feel like I do belong somewhere, and I’m not alone as I thought. I progressed spiritually, dedicated myself, and got baptized. Six months after that, I became a regular pioneer. Although I did not pursue additional education abroad and though my employment will not make me materially rich, I know that whatever difficult situation I may face, Jehovah will protect me. I can now feel the warmth that surrounds me from the brothers and sisters in the congregation, from my fellow pioneers, and also from my brothers and sisters whom I work with at Bethel. I try my best to imitate Jehovah’s compassion, and it has made me happier, more approachable, and it has also made me love and care for my brothers and sisters more. Sarah, Abenezer, and Sophie took the time to prove the truth to themselves and strengthen their faith. All three meditated on Jehovah’s qualities and came to view him as a Father. Do you sometimes wish there was less drama and a little more peace in your family? Let’s listen as Brother Gary Breaux explains how to cultivate peace even when it seems difficult. The theme that I’ve chosen is “When Peace in a Family Seems Elusive.” And The Watchtower comment talks about this very thing. It acknowledges that there’s a challenge when peaceful relationships are disturbed somehow among fellow believers. And if that believer happens to be a relative, it can become extremely difficult. And there are many reasons as to why that can be so in a family, especially between siblings. Here are some of the reasons: maybe, how to care for aging parents, envy over seeming advantages that one has over another, or settling an estate. So if your family has certain challenges in this regard, the example of Jacob may be encouraging to us. At 130 years of age, here’s what Jacob told Pharaoh, according to Genesis 47:9: “Few and distressing the years of my life have been.” Consider just some of the distressing domestic drama that we find in Jacob’s family life. The rivalry between him and his brother, Esau, actually started before birth. He eventually had to flee from his home because of Esau’s murderous vengeance. His brothers-in-law envied his financial success, according to Genesis 31:1. And then, of course, there was the challenge of trying to restore the peaceful relationship with his brother, Esau, in Genesis chapters 32 and 33. His family’s peace was also affected by the murderous feelings among his ten sons toward Joseph. Now, the drama in Jacob’s family was draining. So, what can we do if we find ourselves in a similar situation and our family peace seems elusive? Well, we’re going to consider Jacob’s example in dealing with Esau, and there are six lessons, or principles, that we’d like to take away. Now, I’d like to say first of all, resist the inclination to relate yourself to Jacob and your relative to Esau, but let’s just try to gain the principles that come out of this account. (1) Time may need to pass for raw feelings to wane. See, it took 20 years for Esau to cool down so there could be some sort of a healing. And just because we’re ready for peace doesn’t mean the other party is ready for peace. See, sometimes peace can’t be forced. It can’t be forced anytime. It has to be voluntary on the part of both parties. A breach with a believing relative could be likened to incurring a debt with them. See, we may want to pay the debt all at once, and sometimes it’s possible to do that, but usually a debt is paid off over time with smaller but regular payments. Restoring a breached relationship is similar. See, small and steady progress will allow trust to be restored over a period of time. (2) During the 20-year separation, Jacob focused on doing God’s will. Remember, he expanded his family. He was laying the groundwork to fulfill the promise that Jehovah had made to “make a great nation” out of him. And in our case, we stay focused on our relationship with Jehovah God. If we are involved in spiritual activities, that’s going to help time pass. (3) Seek Jehovah’s direction for resolution. Jacob waited until he had a clear indication from Jehovah God that the time was right. In Genesis 31:3, here’s what Jehovah said to Jacob: “Return to the land of your fathers and to your relatives.” Ah! One of the relatives was Esau. And so Jacob prayed —he prayed specifically— about the fears that he had of approaching Esau. And at the right time, Jacob initiated the meeting with Esau. And it’s found in Genesis chapter 32, and we’ll read starting in verse 3: “Then Jacob sent messengers ahead of him “to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, “the territory of Edom, and he commanded them: “‘This is what you will say to my lord, to Esau, “‘“This is what your servant Jacob says: “‘“‘I have resided with Laban for a long time until now. “‘“‘And I have acquired bulls, donkeys, sheep, “‘“‘and male and female servants, “‘“‘and I send this message to inform my lord, in order to find favor in your eyes.’”’” See, Jacob communicated his intention to return and meet with Esau. So look for indications that Jehovah God is paving the way toward reconciliation. (4) Maintain and promote a respectful view of the offended relative. Jacob didn’t influence other members of his family to view Esau negatively. As we just read, he referred to his brother as “my lord” and to himself as “your servant.” And he maintained a genuine respect for his brother, even among his family, because the account says his family members also approached Esau and “bowed down” to him. The lesson: Resist the inclination to share negative comments with others about a challenging relative. Instead, focus on their positive and endearing qualities. (5) Overlook the past and focus on healing. And how did Jacob approach Esau? Well, we just read that he sent gifts to his brother to soften him, maybe to set the tone for the meeting. Imagine Esau’s surprise at the generosity of Jacob. And Jacob personally humbled himself, as the account says, bowing seven times with that painful hip —seven times down, seven times up. It may be painful and may be uncomfortable for us to humble ourselves before the offended. Especially note that Jacob didn’t rehash the past. See, he didn’t ask Esau if he was still angry with him. No, he avoided hot-button topics, so to speak. Rather, he let the encounter and the conversation develop. And then, finally, (6) Do not expect an apology. Nowhere in the account does it say that Esau actually apologized. Don’t expect nor demand an apology. Rejoice that communication to some degree has been restored. And what was the outcome? Well, let’s look in Genesis chapter 33, this time in verse 4. Genesis 33:4 says: “But Esau ran to meet him, and he embraced him and kissed him, and they burst into tears.” Twenty years of malice melted away in a moment. How refreshing when family peace is restored! And then later, both brothers shared in burying their father, indicating that a reconciliation of sorts took place. But, you know, there’s a proverb that says all of this may not work for the moment. And it’s found at Proverbs 18:19 —Proverbs 18:19. It says: “A brother offended is more unyielding than a fortified city, and there are disputes like the bars of a fortress.” So it may be, since he’s misjudged your motives, that there will simply be nothing that you can do to help him come around for the moment. But remember even the iron bars of a fortress will rust and weaken in time, so don’t give up or lose hope. And a sincere apology may be the very thing that opens the door to the fortress. And in the meantime, if peace seems to be elusive, you may feel like a failure. But it would only be a failure if we do not apply Romans 12:18, where it says: “If possible, as far as it depends on you, be peaceable with all men.” See, if our brother or sister, our family member, refuses to accept our love and our conscientious effort to make peace, then that will be the responsibility that they will have to bear. A fact of life is that sometimes family relationships are frayed. If that’s the case with your family and your believing relatives, remember the example of Jacob in Scripture. Always keep your door open for reconciliation, never leaving your relatives forever locked out. And hopefully in time, you can have the same reunion as did Jacob and Esau. If we keep a humble attitude like Jacob, focus on the positive, and seek Jehovah’s direction, even a difficult family situation can improve. During an especially trying time, we may wonder if Jehovah really notices our efforts to remain faithful. Zephaniah served God when few others cared to remain faithful. What reassuring words can we dig up from the book that bears his name? I finished my research on Zephaniah for family worship, Dad. Hey, terrific! Do you want to give me some of the highlights? Sure. So the spiritual climate back then was rough. The morals had been declining for a long time because of Kings Manasseh and Amon. And even though young Josiah was a good king, the leaders were still corrupt. They exploited the people, they worshipped false gods, and the people in general ignored Jehovah, even though he was reaching out to them. That must have been a difficult time for faithful ones like Josiah and Zephaniah. Do you think Zephaniah ever wondered if Jehovah noticed his efforts to be faithful in that environment or if he just felt like he was getting overlooked in all of that wickedness? Yeah, I could see that. But Jehovah inspired him to prophesy, so he must have approved of him. Excellent point. Imagine Jehovah speaking to you. Wouldn’t that be reassuring? Absolutely! So he did notice people like Zephaniah. He cared. Yeah. In fact, what was his message for people like Zephaniah in chapter 2, verse 3? “Seek Jehovah, all you meek ones of the earth.” Now, let’s think about that for a second. What does that mean? This is a great time to use the Research Guide. Good idea! There are so many articles here. Are there any that catch your eye? Yeah, this 2001 Watchtower. It says: “‘Seeking Jehovah’... “involves developing and maintaining “a warm personal relationship with him... “It means getting to know how God views matters and being attentive to his feelings.” Interesting. So it’s about our connection with Jehovah. Exactly. But, you know, I found this study tip in The Watchtower that really helped me go a little deeper. Take a look at this. It says: “When we read the Bible, “we can use various study tools “to clarify what we read. “Yet, we do well to search out “more than just facts. “We want to find spiritual gems “about Jehovah’s personality that will increase our love for him.” Yeah, I love that. Yeah. So, what do you think? What is Jehovah revealing about himself in this verse? Well, Jehovah is talking to people who are already meek. They’re already trying to know him. But he still says: ‘Keep seeking me.’ So Jehovah wanted their good relationship to get even better. So it’s not just about acquiring knowledge through personal study. Go on. This is a different level. So, what Jehovah really wants from us is closeness. Exactly. Because he wanted them to survive the coming judgment, and in order for them to do that, they needed more than knowledge. They needed to keep drawing closer to him. That makes sense. But there’s another level here. Did you notice chapter 3, verse 12? Jehovah says that he would allow the humble and lowly ones who take refuge in him to survive judgment day. But look at verse 17. Jehovah says: “He will exult over you with great joy. He will become silent in his love.” What does that even mean? Well, let’s take a look at the footnote. The footnotes in Zephaniah are really helpful. Yeah, they are. It says: “Or ‘quiet; at ease; satisfied.’” So, what does that make you think of? Maybe it’s like when someone does something so nice or unexpected; it leaves you speechless. So is it like Jehovah becomes speechless? Well, Jehovah is never at a loss for words, right? He always knows what to say. But this shows how deeply he feels. There are times when an emotion is so profound that words can’t fully express it. So this verse seems to mean that that’s how Jehovah feels when you and I draw close to him. So when we stay faithful to Jehovah, when we seek Jehovah, we make him so happy it’s as if he’s speechless. That’s incredible! You know, I did a search and this is the only place in the Bible where Jehovah says this about himself. So Zephaniah heard something totally new. I wonder how that felt. Why don’t we ask him in the new world? Yeah. Great idea. But now let’s make some practical application here. I don’t know about you, but sometimes at work I feel like Zephaniah —completely surrounded by Satan’s world. And it’s easy to feel invisible. But that’s not what Jehovah sees. He notices my faithfulness. And he does the same with you. And sometimes for me, it’s my negative thoughts that are the problem —that voice that’s telling me I’m not acceptable to Jehovah or that no matter what I do, it’s not good enough or that even if I am kind of acceptable to him, it just doesn’t mean that much. Thank you for telling me. I’m so sorry you feel like that. You know, to be honest, I do too sometimes. But those negative thoughts that we have, they’re not true. That’s why God’s Word is so powerful. It tells us how things really are, how Jehovah really thinks, how he really feels. Yeah, and Jehovah doesn’t lie. Exactly. So when Jehovah tells us how he feels, believe him. Absolutely. Our spiritual routine isn’t something casual to Jehovah. He deeply cares —so much so that he’s “silent in his love.” You know, I’m going to make a note in my Bible so the next time I feel lost in the crowd or that voice inside me says, “You’re not good enough,” I can remember this verse, Jehovah’s feelings. He’s not just satisfied with you; he rejoices. Imagine how much confidence Jehovah’s thinking must have given to Zephaniah! It can for you and me too. OK, so let me recap: We used the Research Guide, the footnotes, and then looked for Jehovah’s personality. You got it. But there’s still so much more to explore here, like, for example, what about all of the prophecies about the surrounding nations, like Assyria? What can we learn from them? Oh, and what other unique phrase about Jehovah do we only find in this book? Let’s dig into that next. Can’t wait! So why don’t we take a look at this phrase... The more we use our study tools when we read the Bible, the more we’ll see Jehovah reveal himself through his Word. If you or someone in your family has feelings like Zephaniah, why not dig into your Bible study to find gems like these? Jehovah especially feels our pain when we lose someone close to us in death. Notice how the following young people dealt with their grief by drawing closer to God. After losing a loved one in death, how did you react at first? There was a lot of confusion, a lot of anger; I had a lot of questions, just asking myself: ‘Why me? What did we do that my family had to go through this?’ It was very easy to be angry and feel disappointment, overwhelmed, a little bit of anxiety, feeling helpless at times. So I lost my aunt; and then shortly after, I lost my grandmother; and then I lost my cousin. It was just one thing after the other after the other, and I didn’t really deal with my emotions in the best way. When I was 16 years old, my father had gone to India, and he had gotten sick, so my two brothers and I and my mom and I got a call that he had passed away. We never ever thought that this would happen because our dad was very healthy at the time. The whole family was in shock. But I had two younger brothers who were now looking up to me to make sure that their older brother was handling everything the right way. I always believed in Jehovah, you know. I believed the truths that I was taught. But I couldn’t help but feel that Jehovah abandoned me and my family. And I knew that that wasn’t right, and I started to feel guilty. And instead of dealing with it, I just pushed everything down. I would put on a brave smile and a brave face, but the second that I was alone, I broke down. What helped you to cope with those emotions? We had the overwhelming support of our congregation, our brothers and sisters, and they were our family. Romans 12:15: ‘Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.’ If we want other people to help us, we’ve got to open up about these emotions to them. There was a brother in another congregation that was close to my father. He had also lost his wife many years back, so he kind of knew what I was going through. He told me to work on three things. The first thing was prayer. At that time, that was like my lifeline. I could go to Jehovah whenever I wanted —talk to him, spill my feelings to him— and he was always there for me. The second was meditation, just meditating on the resurrection, what death really is, and what Jehovah has in store for us for the future. The third thing he told me to work on was imagination. He told me: “Think about what it’s going to be like when you do see your father, “what you’re going to say to him, “what you’re going to be like, and what he’s going to be like. “Are you going to cry? Are you going to be laughing and be happy? Just imagine how it’s going to be!” Along with the overwhelming support, it was our routine —so first would be our meetings, the field ministry, and family study on top of that. As I kept up with that, it really helped to see how I can turn those emotions and refine them and define myself into something much better; it helped a lot with that. My family and I had a shepherding visit. The elder told us that it’s OK to not be OK. Sometimes we feel like we’re not strong enough to continue, that we don’t have the strength to endure. And he said to us that that’s because we never did in the first place. It was never our strength that we were relying on, but it was the strength that Jehovah gave us. And that hit me, like, that hit me hard. And I remember that night I decided to pray; I was sobbing and finally was able to let everything off my shoulders. And I said: “Jehovah, here you go. “I hate how I feel like you’ve abandoned me because I know that that’s not true, but that’s how I’m feeling.” And after telling him everything, it truly felt like he was (like he was) giving me a hug. I will never forget that. I will never forget that night. Which Bible truths have brought you comfort? One of my favorite scriptures of all time is James 1:13. It really puts into perspective that pain, suffering, death—none of it is from Jehovah. It’s really just a consequence of sin. And the Bible describes death as an enemy, so to know that Jehovah wants it gone even more than we do, it’s just a great hope we have. John 3:16—I made it personal. Jehovah —he gave his only-begotten Son for me. So am I willing to now give my life to Him, serve Him faithfully? And if I do that, then Revelation 21:4 tells me what’s going to happen. He will bring back my loved ones who’ve passed away. These are scriptures that I’d read my whole life, but now it felt real to me. And I was determined to now give my life to Jehovah and serve him faithfully so that I can see that future actually happen. Jehovah knows that there are going to be feelings of doubt and anxiety and stress. So when we open up the Bible and we look at these accounts and these verses of people being resurrected, it really helps us because then it keeps it true in our head and we can really see into the future. Psalm 34:18 says that “Jehovah is close to the brokenhearted,” and he “saves those crushed in spirit.” I was brokenhearted; my spirit was completely crushed. And Jehovah—he never turned his back on me, he never judged me, he didn’t blame me for what I was feeling; but he completely understood. He understood that what I was going through and how I was feeling was just the result of the pain. And he didn’t allow me to push away from him, but he brought me closer to him. When we feel the pain of mourning a loved one, Jehovah sees and he cares. That’s why he provides our brothers and sisters, and especially the elders, so we can express our feelings in a healthy way instead of holding them in. In Matthew chapter 10, Jesus said: “Two sparrows sell for a coin of small value, do they not? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father’s knowledge.” If Jehovah takes note of such a small bird, will he not look after and care for you? Our music video this month highlights just how much Jehovah values his people and the many ways he cares for us day by day. From time to time, we all get down. That’s when we need a friend around. I hope you know that I am here for you. My dear friend, I know you’ve heard The wisdom found in Jesus’ words, But here’s a small reminder that is true: You’re worth more than many sparrows, and Jehovah cares for you. Though the road is cramped and narrow, he will help you make it through. So have no fear; he holds you dear; when you call for help, he’s near, ’Cause you’re worth more—so much more— than many sparrows. Jehovah sees each sparrow fall. He hears you ev’ry time you call. So feel the peace and comfort he provides. And if you’re feeling low again, Just turn to Matthew chapter ten, And see how much you’re worth in God’s eyes. You’re worth more than many sparrows, and Jehovah cares for you. Though the road is cramped and narrow, he will help you make it through. So have no fear; he holds you dear; when you call for help, he’s near, ’Cause you’re worth more—so much more— than many sparrows. They don’t sow, and they don’t reap, But still the birds have what they need. So how much more will Jehovah care for you and me! You’re worth more than many sparrows, and Jehovah cares for you. Though the road is cramped and narrow, he will help you make it through. So have no fear; he holds you dear; when you call for help, he’s near, ’Cause you’re worth more—so much more— than many sparrows. In this month’s program, we learned that the family unit is part of Jehovah’s original purpose and that we all can play a part in keeping our family strong. Zephaniah may have felt alone during his preaching assignment, but Jehovah reassured him that he valued him deeply. We met three young ones who didn’t let temporary setbacks or temptation prevent them from making the truth their own. And we saw how valuable our spiritual family is when we lose a loved one in death. Our postcard this month comes from the sun-kissed island of Cyprus. Located in the eastern Mediterranean about 65 kilometers, or 40 miles, south of Türkiye, Cyprus is a land of many contrasts —golden beaches, rugged mountains, modern cities, and villages steeped in history. Cyprus is known for the intricate lacework, Lefkaritika, a craft with deep cultural significance. And with over 300 days of sunshine each year, it’s no wonder this island has been popular with tourists and sunseekers. Cyprus is famous for its Halloumi cheese, often grilled to perfection, and for souvla, skewered meat roasted slowly over charcoal. Hospitality runs deep here. After a meal, you might enjoy Commandaria, a sweet dessert wine that dates back over thousands of years. Paul and Barnabas, a native Cypriot, brought the good news to the island in the first century. In modern times, seeds of Bible truth were planted in 1924, when Cyrus Charalambous returned from the United States with a suitcase full of tracts, including Where Are the Dead? From the central post office in Nicosia, he mailed literature to village headmen and teachers across the island. In those days, mail was delivered by donkey once a week —a humble but determined start to the preaching work! By the 1930’s, the first congregation was formed in the village of Xylophagou. The work gained momentum when Antonios Karandinos, a Gilead-trained missionary, arrived in 1947. Just a year later, there were 59 publishers and a branch office was established. Growth continued despite challenges. During the 1960’s, young brothers who refused military service were imprisoned and even tortured. In 1974, war displaced about 300 of our brothers, but the worldwide brotherhood rallied to provide relief. Today, the ministry thrives! There are over 3,200 publishers in 39 congregations and 14 groups, serving in 14 language fields, including French, Romanian, Sinhala, and Tagalog. Cyprus recently hosted its first class of the School for Kingdom Evangelizers. We’ll end our postcard in the city of Paphos —where the proconsul Sergius Paulus became a believer after Paul and Barnabas preached to him. Now there are 431 publishers serving in five congregations and three groups, representing seven languages. About 85 of these brothers and sisters are in full-time service. Your brothers and sisters in Paphos send you their warm love and Christian greetings. From the World Headquarters of Jehovah’s Witnesses, this is JW Broadcasting!