7/18/2016 DoNotBeAfraid.

IWillHelpYouIsaiah41:13|Simplified

JehovahsWitnesses

THEWATCHTOWER(SIMPLIFIEDEDITION)JULY2016

DoNotBeAfraid.IWillHelpYou
IMAGINEthatyouarewalkingonthestreetlateatnight.Suddenlyyourealizethatsomeoneis
followingyou.Whenyoustopwalking,thepersonbehindyoualsostops.Whenyouwalkfaster,
sodoeshe.Youstarttoruntoafriendshousenearby.Whenyourfriendopensthedoorand
welcomesyouin,youarerelievedbecausenowyouknowyouaresafe.

Perhapsyouhavenothadtheexperiencementionedabove.Butlikelyyouhaveotheranxieties
inlifethatcauseyoutoworry.Forexample,areyoustrugglingwithaweaknessthatyouwould
liketoovercomebutyoukeepmakingthesamemistake?Haveyoubeenunemployedforalong
timeandunabletofindajobdespitealltheeffortsyoumaketofindone?Areyouworriedabout
gettingolderandfacinghealthissuesinthefuture?Oristheresomethingelsethatconcerns
you?

Whateverproblemyoumayhave,itisgoodtohaveafriendtowhomyoucantellyourworries
andwhoiswillingtohelpyou.Doyouhavesuchaclosefriend?Yes,youdo!Jehovahissucha
friendtoyou,justashewastothefaithfulmanAbraham,asnotedatIsaiah41:813.Inverses10
and13,Jehovahpromiseseachoneofus:Donotbeafraid,forIamwithyou.Donotbe
anxious,forIamyourGod.Iwillfortifyyou,yes,Iwillhelpyou,Iwillreallyholdontoyouwithmy
righthandofrighteousness.ForI,JehovahyourGod,amgraspingyourrighthand,theOne
sayingtoyou,Donotbeafraid.Iwillhelpyou.

IWILLREALLYHOLDONTOYOU

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Jehovahswordsareverycomforting.TrytoimaginewhatJehovahisactuallypromisingus.The
versedoesnotsaythatyouarewalkingnexttoJehovahholdinghishand.Ifyouwerewalking
nexttohim,Jehovahsrighthandwouldbeholdingyourlefthand.Instead,Jehovahholdsouthis
righthandofrighteousnessandgrabsyourrighthand,asifhewerepullingyououtofa
difficultsituation.WhenJehovahgrabsyourrighthand,hestrengthensyoubysaying:Donotbe
afraid.Iwillhelpyou.

DoyouseeJehovahasyourlovingFatherandFriend?Doyoubelievethathewillhelpyouwhen
youexperiencedifficulties?Jehovahreallycaresforyouandwantstohelpyou.Whenyouhave
problemsanddifficulties,Jehovahwantsyoutofeelsafe.Why?Becausehelovesyouvery
much.Heistrulyahelpthatisreadilyfoundintimesofdistress.Psalm46:1.

WHENWEFEELGUILTYABOUTPASTMISTAKES
SomekeeprememberingtheirpastmistakesandwonderwhetherGodhasforgiventhem.Ifyou
feelthatway,thinkofthefaithfulmanJob.Headmittedthathesinnedwhenhewasyoung.(Job
13:26)ThepsalmistDavidalsofeltthatwayandbeggedJehovah:Donotrememberthesinsof
myyouthandmytransgressions.(Psalm25:7)Becauseweareimperfect,allofushavesinned
andfallshortofthegloryofGod.Romans3:23.

ThecomfortingwordsinIsaiahchapter41werewrittenfortheIsraelites.Theirsinswereso
seriousthatJehovahsaidhewouldpunishthembyhavingthemexiledtoBabylon.(Isaiah
39:6,7)Atthesametime,Godpromisedthathewouldfreethosewhowouldrepentandreturnto
him!(Isaiah41:8,949:8)Jehovahshowsthesameloveandmercytodaytowardthosewho
sincerelyrepentandwanttopleasehim.Psalm51:1.

ConsidertheexperienceofTakuya,*whowastryingtoovercometheuncleanhabitsofwatching
pornographyandpracticingmasturbation.Manytimes,hegaveintohishabit.Howdidhefeel?I
feltthatIwastotallyunworthy,butwhenIapproachedJehovahinprayertobegforhis
forgiveness,hewouldpickmeupfrommyfallenstate.HowdidJehovahdothat?Eldersin
Takuyascongregationtoldhimtocallthemonthephonewheneverhegaveintohishabit.He
admits:Itwasnoteasytocallthem,butwheneverIdid,Iwasstrengthened.Thentheelders
arrangedforthecircuitoverseertovisitTakuya.Thecircuitoverseertoldhim:Iamnothereby
coincidence.Iamherebecausetheelderswantedmetobehere.Theychoseyoutoreceivethis
shepherdingvisit.Takuyasays:Iwastheonesinning,yetJehovah,throughtheelders,
extendedhelptome.Eventually,Takuyastoppedhisbadhabits,becamearegularpioneer,and
isnowservingatabranchoffice.JustasGodhelpedthisbrother,hewillhelpyouwhenyou
makemistakes.

WHENWEAREANXIOUSABOUTWORK
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Somefeelanxiousbecausetheyhavelosttheirjobandcannotfindanotherone.Imaginehow
difficultitistoberejectedbyoneemployerafteranother.Whensomeexperiencethisdifficult
situation,theyfeelworthless.HowmightJehovahhelpyou?Hemaynotimmediatelygiveyouan
idealjob,buthecanhelpyoutorememberDavidswords:IwasonceyoungandnowIamold,
butIhavenotseenanyonerighteousabandoned,norhischildrenlookingforfood.(Psalm
37:25,footnote.)Jehovahviewsyouasprecious,andhegivesyouhisrighthandof
righteousnesssothatyouwillhavewhatyouneedtokeeponservinghim.

Sara,wholivesinColombia,sawhowJehovah
wasabletohelpher.Shemadealotofmoney
workingfulltimeforawellknownandrespected
company.Butshewantedtodomorein
Jehovahsservice,soshequitherjoband
startedtopioneer.However,itwasdifficultfor
hertofindtheparttimejobsheneeded.Sheset
upasmallicecreamshopbutgraduallyranout
ofmoneyandhadtoclosethebusiness.She
says,Threelongyearspassed,butthanksto
Jehovah,Iwasabletoendure.Shelearned
whatthingsshereallyneededandhowtoavoid
beinganxiousaboutthenextday.(Matthew
6:33,34)Eventually,herformerbosscalledand
offeredherthesamejobthatshehadbefore. HowmightJehovahhelpyouifyouloseyourjob?
Shesaidthatshewouldacceptworkonlyifit
wasparttimeandonlyifshewasallowedto
taketimeoffformeetings,assemblies,andconventions.Today,Saradoesnotearnasmuch
moneyassheusedto,butsheisabletocontinuepioneering.Shesaysthatduringthatdifficult
time,shefeltthelovinghandofJehovah.

WHENWEAREANXIOUSABOUTGETTINGOLD
Manyfeelanxiousbecausetheyaregettingoldandwillsoonretire.Theywonderiftheywillhave
enoughmoneytolivecomfortably.Theyalsoworryabouthealthissuesthatmayariseinthe
future.ItwasprobablyKingDavidwhobeggedJehovah:Donotcastmeoffinmyoldagedo
notabandonmewhenmystrengthfails.Psalm71:9,18.

Howcanolderonesfeelconfidentaboutthefuture?Theyneedtokeepstrengtheningtheirfaith
inGodandtotrustthathewillgivethemeverythingtheyneed.However,someenjoyedluxuries
whentheyhadmoremoney,sotheymayneedtolearntoliveasimplerlifeandbesatisfiedwith
havingless.Theymayevenrealizethateatingadishofvegetablesinsteadofafattenedbull
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maybebetterfortheirhealth!(Proverbs15:17)IfyouarefocusedonservingJehovah,hewill
makesurethatyouhaveeverythingyouneedwhenyouareold.

ThinkaboutJosandRose,whohaveserved
Jehovahfulltimeformorethan65years.During
thattime,theyhavehadmanychallenges.They
caredforRosesfather,whoneededhelpnight
andday.Also,Joshadtoendurecancersurgery
andchemotherapy.HowdidJehovahgivehisright
handtothisfaithfulcouple?Heusedanother
Christiancouple,TonyandWendy.Theyhadan
apartmentthattheywantedtooffertofulltime
pioneersfreeofcharge.Tonyrememberedthat
whenhewasinhighschool,hewouldlookoutthe
windowandseeJosandRoseregularly
preachingintheministry.Tonylovedthezealthey
showed,anditmadeabigimpressiononhim.
BecauseJosandRosehadspenttheirwhole JosandRosewithTonyandWendy
livesservingJehovah,TonyandWendyoffered
theapartmenttothem.Forthepast15years,they
havehelpedJosandRose,whoarenowabout85yearsold.JosandRosefeelthatTonyand
WendyareagiftfromJehovah.

Jehovahpromisesyou:Donotbeafraid.Iwillhelpyou.Heisofferinghisrighthandof
righteousnesstoyoutoo.Willyouholdoutyourhandtohim?

^par.11Somenameshavebeenchanged.

Copyright2016WatchTowerBibleandTractSocietyofPennsylvania.

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