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Your Future​—What Can It Be?

STUDY of the human genome already reveals much about the potential diseases a person may eventually suffer. But what about possible treatment and even the prevention of such illnesses?

The more researchers learn about the genomes of plants, animals, and humans, the greater the possibilities of developing drugs and therapies to treat diseases, asserts The Times of London. Nevertheless, as the magazine Industry Week reports, scientists offer a word of caution because this process “could lag 20 to 50 years behind the diagnosis.” This situation, according to biochemistry professor Charles Cantor, leaves a person “virtually . . . robbed of hope.” But that need not be.

The Bible clearly promises an end to all disease. “[God] will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore,” states Revelation 21:4. Will geneticists make this come true by what The Christian Century magazine calls “genetic co-​creation”? The fulfillment of the Bible’s promises does not depend on the completion of the Human Genome Project, any “genetic co-​creation,” or, indeed, a gradual improvement of our environment. Rather, its certainty relies exclusively on God’s active force, his holy spirit.

Counteracting Heredity and Environment

Some three thousand years ago, an Israelite king said: “In a fear-​inspiring way I am wonderfully made.” Although David knew nothing of today’s Human Genome Project, he sang this in praise of God: “Your eyes saw even the embryo of me, and in your book all its parts were down in writing.”​—Psalm 139:14, 16.

How did this ancient king know that his growth as an embryo in his mother’s womb followed “written” instructions? David himself admitted: “The spirit of Jehovah it was that spoke by me, and his word was upon my tongue.” (2 Samuel 23:2) Yes, the Creator’s active force, holy spirit, inspired David’s writing.

Is there not here a lesson that many people today ignore or, at least, delay to consider? Although heredity and environment to a certain degree make us what we are, God’s holy spirit can powerfully affect us, even counteracting other influences.

Consider the case of Ian. “I was a very excitable little boy,” he explains. “My dad is extremely excitable at times, and now my own little boys are exactly the same. When I was younger, I was terribly nervous. I could not say anything without stuttering and stammering, and then I began using drink as the answer. It calmed me down, or so I thought. Really, drinking made my nerves worse.” When Ian started studying the Bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses, he realized he had to stop relying on alcohol to control his nerves. “I felt that my own willpower was sufficient, and indeed I stopped drinking for a whole year. But,” he admits, “I could not stay stopped.”

“One day,” he continues, “I was walking along the street in the pouring rain thinking that I’d walk until I dropped dead. I had been off drink and back on several times. Then I realized that I had been trying to conquer my drinking problem in my way, not in Jehovah’s way. So I began praying as I walked along, saying to Jehovah, in effect, that I was now going to do things his way, asking him to grant me his holy spirit to strengthen me.” That was some ten years ago. How is Ian now?

“I still have to work to control my weakness,” he admits, “and I have learned to rely heavily on Jehovah to keep going.” To what does Ian attribute his success so far? “I remember my first Bible reading assignment after returning to the congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses. It was Psalm 116 verse 1, which begins: ‘I do love, because Jehovah hears my voice, my entreaties.’ Halfway through the psalm, I read: ‘What shall I repay to Jehovah for all his benefits to me?’ [Ps 116 verse 12] This was like a stepping-​stone that helped me get back to some sort of normality.” Ian now advises any in a similar situation: “Do not deceive yourself.” He adds: “When I finally worked on my problems and prayed for Jehovah’s holy spirit to strengthen my resolve, I began to succeed.”

Ian, along with nearly five million other Witnesses of Jehovah, relies on holy spirit to help him follow the path outlined in the most important instruction book, the Bible. Let the Witnesses in your locality acquaint you with its clear, uncomplicated, simple message​—that of God’s Kingdom, his heavenly government in the hands of the resurrected Christ Jesus. This agency will soon remove every trace of genetic flaws and will furnish mankind with a paradise environment in which to live forever. You can be there too!