Tag Archives: spirituality

Matthew, chapters 22 & 23

“Regarding the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, who said: ‘I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob’? He is the God, not of the dead, but of the living.”
~Matthew 22:31,32

In the gospel of Luke, the account adds: “For they are all living to him.” (Luke 20:38)
On being asked about the plausibility of a resurrection, Jesus quoted Jehovah’s words to Moses.(Ex. 3:6; Matt. 22:23)
When God referred to himself as the God of Abraham, Abraham had been dead for hundreds of years.
Though the prophets are literally dead, the promise of the resurrection is so sure to be realized that to God, it is as if they are living. (Eccl. 9:5,10; Ro.4:16,17)
Likewise, a person who is physically alive may as well be dead to God if that person commits themselves to an immoral lifestyle. (Ge. 2:17; 1 Tim. 5:6)
When we try to see life and time from Jehovah’s point of view, we can find true comfort in the resurrection hope.

Matthew, chapters 10 & 11

“[…] My yoke is kindly, and my load is light.”
~Matthew 11:30

Is there such a thing as a refreshing burden?
God’s Word promises “his commandments are not burdensome.” (1 John 5:3)
Jesus invites his followers to submit to his direction under his “yoke.” (Matt. 11:28,29)
The idea of carrying a yoke or letting someone else decide our way of life may not attract us.
But if we follow Christ’s footsteps, we will find spiritual and emotional healing. (1 Pet. 2:21, 24)
In that sense, committing to a Christian lifestyle is refreshing instead of burdensome.
The more we learn about God’s love, the more we enjoy a life of service to him.

Matthew, chapters 6 & 7

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
~Matthew 6:21

What do you value most in life? What consumes the greater part of your time and effort?
Although Jesus did not have wealth or a prominent career, he was obviously successful in carrying out his life’s work.
Doing his father’s will was in his heart, and he found happiness in teaching others God’s kingdom message. (Acts 20:35)
If we were to focus our resources on selfish pursuits, we would probably eventually find them to be vain and unsatisfying. (Eccl. 2:11)
But if we guard our hearts from selfish desires and follow Christ’s example of selflessness, we will discover the happiness that only God can give, while successfully securing our future. (1 Ti. 6:18,19)

Matthew, chapters 4 & 5

“[…] As for those sitting in a region of deathly shadow, light rose on them.”
~Matthew 4:16b
Modern society lives in spiritually dark, morally challenging times. (Is. 8:22)
Although Jesus is in heaven, we still see his message of hope shine when we read God’s Word and let it light our way. (Ps. 23:3,4; Is. 9:2; Luke 1:78,79)
Though there are events unfolding that naturally give rise to fear, we can trust that God will eventually make good on his promise to restore the earth to its paradise state through his son’s kingdom. (Re. 21:5)

Malachi, chapters 1-4

“[…] Jehovah kept paying attention and listening. And a book of remembrance was written before him for those fearing Jehovah and for those meditating on his name.”
~Malachi 3:16

We should not fear that God is so busy or we are so insignificant that he does not notice our day-to-day trials.
Jehovah wants us to know he does care.
He compassionately searches the earth for those who love righteousness, and if one dies, that person is safe in God’s memory until the resurrection. (Job 34:21; Ps. 56:8; Mal. 3:17; Acts 24:15)

Haggai, chapters 1 & 2

“[…] That is how all the work of their hands is; whatever they present there is unclean.”
~Haggai 2:14

God doesn’t care so much about the sacrifice we are giving him as he does about what motivates us to give it. (Hag. 1:5)
We should not undermine our privilege of knowing and serving the true God by letting our worship become mechanical and superficial in nature.
Those who try to serve God hypocritically lose his blessing and his friendship.
On the other hand, if we ‘set our heart in our ways’ by trying to find joy in his service, we can experience more blessings than we could have imagined. (Hag. 2:7; Mal. 3:10)

Zephaniah, chapters 1-3

“Jehovah has removed the judgments against you.
He has turned away your enemy.
The King of Israel, Jehovah, is in your midst.
You will fear calamity no more.”
~Zepheniah 3:15

Even if we have made mistakes in the past which offended God, we can trust that if we sincerely repent, God will not remain angry at us forever. (Ps. 86:5)

Jehovah disciplined his people in ancient times to the point that it was fair and just, and he will do the same to us today if we fall into sinful practices. (2 Tim. 3:16)

So we should never fear that we are inevitably separated from God.
If he has forgiven us, we in turn have to forgive ourselves.

Habakkuk, chapters 1-3

“Are you not from everlasting, O Jehovah?
O my God, my Holy One, you do not die.”
~Habakkuk 1:12

To have an accurate knowledge of God, we need to understand who he is. (1 Tim. 2:3,4)
In the world, there is much confusion as to the role of Jesus.
But the Bible states clear differences between Jesus and his Father, Jehovah. (1 Tim. 2:5)
One of those differences is that Jehovah, God Almighty, cannot die. (Ps. 90:2; 1 Tim. 1:17)
As we all know, Jesus did die, and was resurrected on the third day by his father. (Acts 2:23,24)
So there is a clear difference in the person that is Jesus and the person who is Jehovah.
When we understand who Jehovah is, we can further appreciate other spiritual treasures, such as the value of prayer and the privilege of serving him. (Ja. 4:8)

Micah, chapters 1-7

“[…] Although I have fallen, I will rise up; Although I dwell in the darkness, Jehovah will be my light.”
~Micah 7:8

When we sin against God, we can recover spiritually not by our own merits, but by God’s own undeserved mercy.
We should not take a spiritual fall in such a way that we believe it is impossible to recover.
Certainly, if our spiritual standing depended solely on ourselves, then in our imperfection, we might never be faithful. (Ro. 3:23)
But because God reaches out to those repentant in order to draw them back close to him, we can trust that full spiritual recovery is possible. (Mic. 7:18,19)
To benefit from his help, we must show humility and patience. (Mic. 7:9)

Jonah, chapters 1-4

“And I said, ‘I have been driven away from your sight!
How will I gaze again upon your holy temple?’”
~Jonah 2:4

As Jonah sank to the depths of the ocean within the belly of the fish, his main concern was not the loss of his own life, his reputation nor material things.
He was not overcome by anxiety to the point of losing his mind or his priorities.
Jonah was deeply grieved because he would no longer be able to gaze upon Jehovah’s temple, the center for true worship.
When we are under great emotional stress, do we value our spiritual privileges above all else? (Ps. 84:10)
We may wonder if our presence before God makes any difference in the vast sea of humanity, but Jonah’s story demonstrates God cares about every one of us at the individual level. (Jon. 4:11)
No one can take any other person’s place before God to render another’s worship. (Matt. 22:37)
In that sense, we are each valuable and irreplaceable. (Jon. 2:9)