Continue with Whom Does Jehovah Draw?

Notice that the Israelites were to choose life 'by loving Jehovah, by listening to his voice, and by sticking to him.' When those words were spoken, the people of Israel had not yet taken possession of the Promised Land. They were poised on the Plains of Moab, readying themselves to cross the Jordan River to enter Canaan. While it was natural for them to turn their thoughts toward the "good and spacious" land "flowing with milk and honey" that they would soon receive, the realization of their dreams depended on their love for Jehovah, their listening to his voice, and their sticking to him. (Exodus 3:8) Moses made this clear, stating: "If you will listen to the commandments of Jehovah your God, which I am commanding you today, so as to love Jehovah your God, to walk in his ways and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judicial decisions, then you will be bound to keep alive and to multiply, and Jehovah your God must bless you in the land to which you are going to take possession of it."-Deuteronomy 30:16.

Should the foregoing not teach us something about our preaching and teaching work in this time of the end? We think about the coming Paradise earth and talk about it in our ministry. But neither we nor the disciples we make will see the fulfillment of the promise if we or they are serving God for selfish reasons. Like the Israelites, we and those whom we teach must learn to 'love Jehovah, listen to his voice, and stick to him.' If we remember this when carrying out our ministry, we will actually be collaborating with God in drawing people to him.

Next time: God's Fellow Workers