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Learn From God’s Word
This article raises questions you may have asked and shows where you can read the answers in your Bible. Jehovah’s Witnesses would be pleased to discuss these answers with you.
The true God is the Creator of all things. The Bible calls him the “King of eternity,” meaning that he had no beginning and will never have an end. (Revelation 15:3) Since God is the Source of life, we should worship only him.
No one has ever seen God because he is a Spirit, which means that he is a higher form of life than the physical creatures who live on earth. (John 1:18; 4:24) God’s personality is revealed in the things he has made. For example, when we contemplate the design and variety of fruits and flowers, we discern God’s love and wisdom. The vastness of the universe tells us of God’s power.
We can learn even more about God’s personality from the Bible. For example, it tells us what God likes and what he does not like, how he treats people, and how he reacts in different situations.
Jesus said: “Our Father in the heavens, let your name be sanctified.” (Matthew 6:9) Although God has many titles, he has only one name. In each language, it is pronounced differently. In English we usually say “Jehovah” or sometimes “Yahweh.”
God’s name has been taken out of many Bibles and replaced with the titles Lord or God. But when the Bible was written, it contained God’s name some 7,000 times. Jesus made God’s name known by using it when he explained God’s Word to people. He helped people to come to know God.
4. Does Jehovah care about us?
Jehovah shows interest in us by listening personally to our prayers. (Psalm 65:2) Does the abundance of suffering mean that God does not care about us? Some people claim that God makes us suffer to test us, but this is not true. The Bible says: “Far be it from the true God to act wickedly.”
God has granted man the dignity of free will. Do we not appreciate our freedom to choose to serve God? (Joshua 24:15) Suffering abounds because many choose to do bad things to others. It hurts Jehovah to see such injustice.
Soon, Jehovah will use Jesus to eliminate suffering and those who cause it. Meanwhile, Jehovah has good reason for allowing suffering temporarily. A later lesson in this series will explain why God allows suffering.
5. What does God want us to do?
Jehovah created us with the ability to come to know and love him. He wants us to learn the truth about him. (1 Timothy 2:4) If we study the Bible, we can come to know God as a Friend.
Since Jehovah has given us life, we should love him more than we love anyone else. We can show God that we love him by speaking to him in prayer and by doing as he asks. (Proverbs 15:8) Jehovah asks us to treat other people with love.
For more information, see chapter 1 of this book, What Does the Bible Really Teach?, published by Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Can there be a good reason for allowing suffering temporarily?
