ACQUIRE A HEART AGREEABLE TO JEHOVAH

'Prepare Your Heart To Consult God's Word'


Just as adding the proper supplements may enhance the physical soil, so our cultivating humility, hunger for spirituality, trust, godly fear and love for God can enrich our figurative heart. Humility softens the heart, helping us to become more teachable. Jehovah said to Judean King Josiah: "For the reason that your heart was soft so that you humbled yourself because of Jehovah at your hearing what I have spoken . . .and began weeping before me, I,even I, have heard." (2 Kings 22:19) Josiah's heart was humble and receptive. Humility enabled Jesus' "unlettered and ordinary" disciples to grasp and apply spiritual truths that escaped "wise and intellectual" men. (Acts 4:13; Luke 10:21) May we "humble ourselves before our God" as we try to acquire a heart agreeable to Jehovah. -Ezra 8:21

Jesus said: "Happy are the conscious of their spiritual need." (Matthew 5:3) While we are endowed with a capacity for spirituality, pressures from this wicked wold or such traits as laziness may dull our consciousness of our need. (Matthew 4:4) We must develop a wholesome appetite for spiritual food. Even if at first do not find pleasure in Bible reading and personal study, with persistence we will find that knowledge will 'become pleasant to our very soul,' so that we eagerly look forward to study periods. -Proverbs 2:10, 11.

"Trust in Jehovah with all your heart and do not lean upon your own understanding," admonished King Solomon. (Proverbs 3:5) A heart that is trusting in Jehovah knows that whatever He asks or directs through his Word is always right. (Isaiah 48:17) Jehovah is certainly worthy of our complete trust. He is able to carry out all that he has purposed. (Isaiah 40:26, 29) Why, his very name literally means "He Causes To Become," which builds confidence in his ability to fulfill what he has promised! He is "righteous in all his ways and loyal in all his works." (Proverbs 145:17) Of course, to cultivate trust in him, we need to "taste and see that Jehovah is good" by applying what we learn from the Bible in our personal life and by reflecting upon the good that this produces. - Psalm 34:8.

Pointing to yet another quality that makes our heart receptive to divine guidance, Solomon stated: "Fear Jehovah and turn away from the bad." (Proverbs 3:7) Jehovah said concerning ancient Israel: "If only they would develop this heart of theirs to fear me and to keep all my commandments always, in order that it might go well with them and their sons to time indefinite!" (Deuteronomy 5:29) Yes, those who fear God obey him. Jehovah has the ability "to show his strength in behalf of those whose heart is complete toward him" and to inflict punishment upon those who disobey him. (2 Chronicles 16:9) May reverential fear of displeasing God govern all our activities, thoughts and emotions.

Next time: 'Love Jehovah With Your Whole Heart'

Watchtower, 2001