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00:01 The text and comment in today’s Examining the Scriptures Daily 00:05 was taken from a Watchtower study article with the theme 00:08 “How Can We Maintain ‘a Waiting Attitude’?” 00:11 That’s a timely question for all of us to ponder 00:14 because as that Watchtower said: 00:16 “Impatience can be dangerous, 00:19 for it can cause us to behave rashly.” 00:22 What’s the antidote to impatience? 00:26 Open, please, your Bible to the theme text 00:28 for that Watchtower study at Micah 7:7, 00:32 and let’s read Micah 7:7 together 00:35 and consider for a few moments how Micah’s good example 00:39 can help us to maintain a waiting attitude. 00:43 That text reads: 00:45 “But as for me, I will keep on the lookout for Jehovah. 00:50 I will show a waiting attitude.” 00:53 Or as the footnote says: “I will wait patiently 00:56 “for the God of my salvation. 00:58 My God will hear me.” 01:01 It’s beautiful that in just that one verse, 01:03 three times Micah refers to his God—our God—Jehovah. 01:08 And that’s a nice reminder that no matter what the situation is 01:11 that may cause us to have feelings of impatience or frustration, 01:15 whenever we put a problem or difficulty side by side 01:19 with our God, Jehovah, what happens to the situation? 01:24 It appears smaller —manageable with his help. 01:28 We might conclude, as did Brother Karl Klein as published in his life story, 01:33 that ‘if Jehovah permits it, we can take it.’ 01:37 With Jehovah’s help, we can patiently endure 01:40 any trial, circumstance, or situation 01:44 as long as necessary without losing our joy. 01:49 Micah was confident of that. 01:51 Look again at chapter 7 and verse 7. 01:54 By saying that he would “keep on the lookout for Jehovah,” 01:58 in effect, Micah was saying that he was determined 02:02 to become like an active sentry on a watchtower. 02:06 So let’s try to picture that: 02:09 A wide-eyed watchman on high alert. 02:14 That was Micah, spiritually speaking. 02:17 He was determined not to get impatient 02:20 and not to get frustrated with things that he could not change. 02:24 Was it easy for Micah to maintain a waiting attitude? 02:28 Probably not. 02:30 Notice the context that reveals what circumstances were like 02:34 in Israel and in Judah in Micah’s time. 02:37 Notice as you consider some of the thoughts there 02:41 beginning in verse 2 of Micah chapter 7. 02:44 He says: “The loyal one has perished from the earth.” 02:48 Verse 3: “Their hands are expert at doing what is bad.” 02:53 Verse 4: “Their best one is like thorns, 02:57 their most upright one is worse than a thorn hedge.” 03:01 In fact, in verse 5, he says: 03:03 “Do not put faith in your companion or trust a close friend. 03:07 Guard what you say to the one who lies in your embrace.” 03:10 Verse 6: “For a son despises his father, 03:14 “a daughter rises up against her mother, 03:16 “and a daughter-in-law is against her mother-in-law; 03:19 a man’s enemies are the men of his household.” 03:23 Yes, times were difficult when Micah was alive. 03:27 During wicked King Ahaz’ rule, 03:30 the spiritual and moral conditions in Israel 03:32 deteriorated to an appalling state. 03:35 Can you relate to Micah’s circumstances? 03:39 All of Jehovah’s people today experience a test of endurance, 03:43 a test of patience, because we’re living in a selfish world 03:47 where, according to the Scriptures, 03:49 people are “unthankful, disloyal,” 03:51 they have “no natural affection.” 03:53 True Christians are “objects of hatred,” as Jesus foretold. 03:57 Some of our brothers and sisters experience 04:00 hatred and opposition at school and at work 04:04 nearly every day. 04:06 Sometimes that hatred is within the family, 04:09 from unbelieving family members. 04:11 Think, too, about the hatred that our brothers and sisters 04:15 have experienced who are imprisoned. 04:18 I can’t help but think about the two sisters in Azerbaijan, 04:23 who we’re praying fervently for 04:25 because of their unjust persecution, 04:29 or 600 more in Eritrea, 04:32 Nagorno-Karabakh, Singapore, South Korea, and Turkmenistan. 04:37 Those are injustices that we long to see corrected. 04:41 We’d love to see those situations changed today! 04:45 But are we impatient? 04:47 No. We cultivate a waiting attitude. 04:50 Added to these circumstances are the health problems 04:53 that many of our brothers and sisters are facing. 04:56 These too are tests of patience, tests of endurance. 05:00 Maybe you’re dealing with a health challenge 05:02 or a family member or a friend of yours 05:04 is battling one of these to a greater or lesser degree. 05:09 It made me think of the broadcast for this month, for December, 05:12 where we met Sabina Hernandez, in Panama, 05:15 who was born with a severe handicap. 05:18 Since birth, her life has been anything but normal. 05:22 But what an encouragement she is! 05:25 She’s come to trust in Jehovah. 05:27 Like Micah, she’s developed a waiting attitude, 05:29 and this sister is doing her best 05:32 to serve Jehovah despite her health challenge. 05:35 She looks forward to the day when those circumstances will change, 05:39 and we do too. 05:41 We’d love to see it today, wouldn’t we? 05:43 Of course, those problems will end, 05:46 and likely it will happen sooner than we think. 05:49 But whether the end of our circumstances 05:53 that are so difficult comes today or a little later, 05:56 what can Micah’s example teach us? 06:00 Well, think a little deeper about Micah. 06:02 Micah served faithfully 06:04 for some six decades, some sixty years. 06:08 He did live to see the fulfillment of some of Jehovah’s judgement messages. 06:12 He did see some good fruitage from his prophesying activity. 06:16 But did Micah live to see the fulfillment of all of Jehovah’s promises? 06:20 No. 06:22 So, what helped him to wait patiently, 06:24 to keep active, to be confident in Jehovah? 06:27 It was his absolute confidence 06:29 that Jehovah would in time fulfill all of His promises. 06:33 He trusted completely in Him. 06:36 Well, by way of a reminder, what two practical steps 06:40 could we do or do more fully that will help us to cultivate 06:45 that same trusting, confident waiting attitude? 06:49 The first is the text found at 1 Thessalonians 5:17; 06:55 let’s read that together, 1 Thessalonians 5:17. 06:59 Perhaps you have it memorized. 07:01 It’s one of the easiest verses to do that —two words. 07:05 What does it tell us to do? 07:07 “Pray constantly.” 07:09 We need to remember that prayer is real communication with God. 07:14 We can never be charged with talking too much to Jehovah. 07:18 When it comes to real communication with God, 07:21 The Watchtower cited this text and said: 07:24 “He is willing to listen endlessly to those who do his will.” 07:28 Let’s accept that invitation. 07:30 Let’s pray constantly about the things that distress us. 07:33 Let’s cultivate the trust in him by praying specifically 07:37 about the things that we need help with. 07:39 But what if we pray constantly 07:41 and we’re enduring a situation and the problem persists? 07:45 What then? 07:47 Notice Luke 11:9, please. 07:51 Jesus’ words give us every reason for confidence 07:55 when it says at Luke 11:9: 07:57 “So I say to you, keep on asking, and it will be given you; 08:02 “keep on seeking, and you will find; 08:04 keep on knocking, and it will be opened to you.” 08:08 Yes, we want to do whatever is in our power 08:11 to solve our problems, 08:13 having confidence that in time Jehovah will give us the solution 08:17 and until then he’ll help us endure. 08:19 Remember what happens to a mountain when it’s put next to Jehovah. 08:23 It becomes a molehill. 08:26 We need to turn mountains into molehills 08:29 by throwing our concerns upon Jehovah in prayer. 08:33 Micah’s confidence was not misplaced. 08:36 Soon he’ll be back with us in the resurrection 08:39 to witness the fulfillment of all of Jehovah’s promises 08:42 that he patiently waited for. 08:44 So, like him, may we curb our natural feelings of impatience 08:48 by keeping wide awake in faith, always “on the lookout for Jehovah.”
00:01 The text and comment in today’s Examining the Scriptures Daily 00:05 was taken from a Watchtower study article with the theme 00:08 “How Can We Maintain ‘a Waiting Attitude’?” 00:11 That’s a timely question for all of us to ponder 00:14 because as that Watchtower said: 00:16 “Impatience can be dangerous, 00:19 for it can cause us to behave rashly.” 00:22 What’s the antidote to impatience? 00:26 Open, please, your Bible to the theme text 00:28 for that Watchtower study at Micah 7:7, 00:32 and let’s read Micah 7:7 together 00:35 and consider for a few moments how Micah’s good example 00:39 can help us to maintain a waiting attitude. 00:43 That text reads: 00:45 “But as for me, I will keep on the lookout for Jehovah. 00:50 I will show a waiting attitude.” 00:53 Or as the footnote says: “I will wait patiently 00:56 “for the God of my salvation. 00:58 My God will hear me.” 01:01 It’s beautiful that in just that one verse, 01:03 three times Micah refers to his God—our God—Jehovah. 01:08 And that’s a nice reminder that no matter what the situation is 01:11 that may cause us to have feelings of impatience or frustration, 01:15 whenever we put a problem or difficulty side by side 01:19 with our God, Jehovah, what happens to the situation? 01:24 It appears smaller —manageable with his help. 01:28 We might conclude, as did Brother Karl Klein as published in his life story, 01:33 that ‘if Jehovah permits it, we can take it.’ 01:37 With Jehovah’s help, we can patiently endure 01:40 any trial, circumstance, or situation 01:44 as long as necessary without losing our joy. 01:49 Micah was confident of that. 01:51 Look again at chapter 7 and verse 7. 01:54 By saying that he would “keep on the lookout for Jehovah,” 01:58 in effect, Micah was saying that he was determined 02:02 to become like an active sentry on a watchtower. 02:06 So let’s try to picture that: 02:09 A wide-eyed watchman on high alert. 02:14 That was Micah, spiritually speaking. 02:17 He was determined not to get impatient 02:20 and not to get frustrated with things that he could not change. 02:24 Was it easy for Micah to maintain a waiting attitude? 02:28 Probably not. 02:30 Notice the context that reveals what circumstances were like 02:34 in Israel and in Judah in Micah’s time. 02:37 Notice as you consider some of the thoughts there 02:41 beginning in verse 2 of Micah chapter 7. 02:44 He says: “The loyal one has perished from the earth.” 02:48 Verse 3: “Their hands are expert at doing what is bad.” 02:53 Verse 4: “Their best one is like thorns, 02:57 their most upright one is worse than a thorn hedge.” 03:01 In fact, in verse 5, he says: 03:03 “Do not put faith in your companion or trust a close friend. 03:07 Guard what you say to the one who lies in your embrace.” 03:10 Verse 6: “For a son despises his father, 03:14 “a daughter rises up against her mother, 03:16 “and a daughter-in-law is against her mother-in-law; 03:19 a man’s enemies are the men of his household.” 03:23 Yes, times were difficult when Micah was alive. 03:27 During wicked King Ahaz’ rule, 03:30 the spiritual and moral conditions in Israel 03:32 deteriorated to an appalling state. 03:35 Can you relate to Micah’s circumstances? 03:39 All of Jehovah’s people today experience a test of endurance, 03:43 a test of patience, because we’re living in a selfish world 03:47 where, according to the Scriptures, 03:49 people are “unthankful, disloyal,” 03:51 they have “no natural affection.” 03:53 True Christians are “objects of hatred,” as Jesus foretold. 03:57 Some of our brothers and sisters experience 04:00 hatred and opposition at school and at work 04:04 nearly every day. 04:06 Sometimes that hatred is within the family, 04:09 from unbelieving family members. 04:11 Think, too, about the hatred that our brothers and sisters 04:15 have experienced who are imprisoned. 04:18 I can’t help but think about the two sisters in Azerbaijan, 04:23 who we’re praying fervently for 04:25 because of their unjust persecution, 04:29 or 600 more in Eritrea, 04:32 Nagorno-Karabakh, Singapore, South Korea, and Turkmenistan. 04:37 Those are injustices that we long to see corrected. 04:41 We’d love to see those situations changed today! 04:45 But are we impatient? 04:47 No. We cultivate a waiting attitude. 04:50 Added to these circumstances are the health problems 04:53 that many of our brothers and sisters are facing. 04:56 These too are tests of patience, tests of endurance. 05:00 Maybe you’re dealing with a health challenge 05:02 or a family member or a friend of yours 05:04 is battling one of these to a greater or lesser degree. 05:09 It made me think of the broadcast for this month, for December, 05:12 where we met Sabina Hernandez, in Panama, 05:15 who was born with a severe handicap. 05:18 Since birth, her life has been anything but normal. 05:22 But what an encouragement she is! 05:25 She’s come to trust in Jehovah. 05:27 Like Micah, she’s developed a waiting attitude, 05:29 and this sister is doing her best 05:32 to serve Jehovah despite her health challenge. 05:35 She looks forward to the day when those circumstances will change, 05:39 and we do too. 05:41 We’d love to see it today, wouldn’t we? 05:43 Of course, those problems will end, 05:46 and likely it will happen sooner than we think. 05:49 But whether the end of our circumstances 05:53 that are so difficult comes today or a little later, 05:56 what can Micah’s example teach us? 06:00 Well, think a little deeper about Micah. 06:02 Micah served faithfully 06:04 for some six decades, some sixty years. 06:08 He did live to see the fulfillment of some of Jehovah’s judgement messages. 06:12 He did see some good fruitage from his prophesying activity. 06:16 But did Micah live to see the fulfillment of all of Jehovah’s promises? 06:20 No. 06:22 So, what helped him to wait patiently, 06:24 to keep active, to be confident in Jehovah? 06:27 It was his absolute confidence 06:29 that Jehovah would in time fulfill all of His promises. 06:33 He trusted completely in Him. 06:36 Well, by way of a reminder, what two practical steps 06:40 could we do or do more fully that will help us to cultivate 06:45 that same trusting, confident waiting attitude? 06:49 The first is the text found at 1 Thessalonians 5:17; 06:55 let’s read that together, 1 Thessalonians 5:17. 06:59 Perhaps you have it memorized. 07:01 It’s one of the easiest verses to do that —two words. 07:05 What does it tell us to do? 07:07 “Pray constantly.” 07:09 We need to remember that prayer is real communication with God. 07:14 We can never be charged with talking too much to Jehovah. 07:18 When it comes to real communication with God, 07:21 The Watchtower cited this text and said: 07:24 “He is willing to listen endlessly to those who do his will.” 07:28 Let’s accept that invitation. 07:30 Let’s pray constantly about the things that distress us. 07:33 Let’s cultivate the trust in him by praying specifically 07:37 about the things that we need help with. 07:39 But what if we pray constantly 07:41 and we’re enduring a situation and the problem persists? 07:45 What then? 07:47 Notice Luke 11:9, please. 07:51 Jesus’ words give us every reason for confidence 07:55 when it says at Luke 11:9: 07:57 “So I say to you, keep on asking, and it will be given you; 08:02 “keep on seeking, and you will find; 08:04 keep on knocking, and it will be opened to you.” 08:08 Yes, we want to do whatever is in our power 08:11 to solve our problems, 08:13 having confidence that in time Jehovah will give us the solution 08:17 and until then he’ll help us endure. 08:19 Remember what happens to a mountain when it’s put next to Jehovah. 08:23 It becomes a molehill. 08:26 We need to turn mountains into molehills 08:29 by throwing our concerns upon Jehovah in prayer. 08:33 Micah’s confidence was not misplaced. 08:36 Soon he’ll be back with us in the resurrection 08:39 to witness the fulfillment of all of Jehovah’s promises 08:42 that he patiently waited for. 08:44 So, like him, may we curb our natural feelings of impatience 08:48 by keeping wide awake in faith, always “on the lookout for Jehovah.”
