CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: FIND SECURITY AMONG GOD'S PEOPLE

IMAGINE that a violent storm has ravaged the area where you live. Your home is destroyed, and all your possessions are lost.  Food is scarce.  The situation seems hopeless.  Then, unexpected relief supplies arrive.   Food and clothing are provided in abundance. A new house is built for you.  Surely you would be grateful  to the person who made these provisions available. 

Something comparable is occurring today. Like that storm, the rebellion of Adam and Eve caused great damage to the human race.  Mankind's Paradise home was lost.  Since then, human governments have failed  to shelter people form war, crime, and injustice. Religion has left multitudes  starving for wholesome spiritual food. Spiritually speaking, however, Jehovah God is now furnishing food, clothing, and shelter. How is he doing that? 

'THE FAITHFUL AND DISCREET SLAVE"

Relief supplies are generally dispensed through an organized channel, and Jehovah has similarly made spiritual provision for his people.  For example, the Israelites were  "Jehovah's congregation" for some 1,500 years.  Among them were those who served as God's channel to teach his Law.  (1 Chronicles 28:8; 2 Chronicles 17:7-9)  In the first century C.E., Jehovah brought forth the Christian organization. Congregations were formed, and they functioned under the direction of a governing body made up of apostles and older men.  (Acts 15:22-31) Likewise  today, Jehovah deals with his people through an organized body. How do we know this?

Jesus said that at the time of his presence in Kingdom power, "the faithful and discreet slave" would be found providing "food at the proper time"  for his followers.  (Matthew 24:45-47)  When Jesus was installed as heavenly King in 1914, who died this "slave" prove to be? Certainly not the clergy of Christendom.  For the most part, they were feeding their flocks propaganda  that backed up their own national governments in World War I.  But proper and timely spiritual food was being dispensed by the group of Christians who were anointed by God's holy spirit and were part of what Jesus called the "little flock."  (Luke 12:32) These anointed Christians preached God's Kingdom rather than man's governments. As a result, over the years millions of righteously disposed  "other sheep" have joined the anointed  "slave"  in practicing true religion.  (John 10:16)  Using the 'faithful slave' and its present-day Governing Body, God directs his organized people to make spiritual food, clothing, and shelter available to all who wish to have these provisions. 

Next time: FIND SECURITY AMONG GOD'S PEOPLE/"FOOD AT THE PROPER TIME"

From the book:  KNOWLEDGE That Leads to Everlasting Life