Jehovah Should Be Our Confidence

“Jehovah himself will prove to be, in effect, your confidence.”—PROVERBS 3:26.

1. Though many claim to trust in God, what suggests that they do not always do so?

THE motto “In God We Trust” appears on money of the United States of America. But do all those using this currency, in that land or elsewhere, really place their trust in God? Or do they put more trust in the money itself? Such trust in money of that land or any other country cannot be reconciled with trust in an almighty God of love, who never misuses his power and who is in no way greedy. In fact, he condemns greed in unmistakable terms.—Ephesians 5:5.

2. What attitude do true Christians have about the power of riches?

² True Christians place their confidence in God, not in riches, with its “deceptive power.” (Matthew 13:22) They recognize that the power of money to promote happiness and to preserve life is seriously limited. Not so the power of Almighty God. (Zephaniah 1:18) Therefore, how wise is the admonition: “Let your manner of life be free of the love of money, while you are content with the present things. For he has said: ‘I will by no means leave you nor by any means forsake you’”!—Hebrews 13:5.

3. How does the context of Deuteronomy 31:6 shed light on Paul’s quotation of the verse?

³ When writing the above words to Hebrew Christians, the apostle Paul quoted instructions that Moses gave to the Israelites shortly before his death: “Be courageous and strong. Do not be afraid or suffer a shock before them, because Jehovah your God is the one marching with you. He will neither desert you nor leave you entirely.” (Deuteronomy 31:6) The context shows that Moses was encouraging a confidence in Jehovah that went beyond simply trusting him to provide them with material needs. How so?

4. How did God prove to the Israelites that he could be trusted?

⁴ During the 40 years that Israel had to wander in the wilderness, God was faithful in providing them with life’s necessities. (Deuteronomy 2:7; 29:5) He also provided leadership. One expression of this was a cloud by day and a fire by night, which led the Israelites to “a land flowing with milk and honey.” (Exodus 3:8; 40:36-38) As the time arrived for actually entering the Promised Land, Jehovah chose Joshua to be Moses’ successor. The occupants of the land could be expected to offer resistance. But Jehovah had marched with his people for decades, so there was no need to fear. The Israelites had every reason to know Jehovah as a God who could be trusted!

5. How is the situation of Christians today similar to that of the Israelites before entering the Promised Land?

⁵ Christians today have been marching through the wilderness of the present wicked world on their way to God’s new world. Some of them have been following this course for longer than 40 years. Now they are standing on the border of God’s new world. Yet, enemies still stand in the way, intent upon hindering any from entering what will become like a Promised Land, more glorious than the ancient one that flowed with milk and honey. So for Christians today, how appropriate are Moses’ words, as repeated by Paul: “I will by no means leave you nor by any means forsake you”! All who remain strong and courageous, full of faith, putting confidence in Jehovah, are sure of a reward.

Confidence Based on Knowledge and Friendship

6, 7. (a) What put Abraham’s confidence in Jehovah to the test? (b) How may Abraham have felt while journeying to the place where he was to sacrifice Isaac?

⁶ At one point the Israelites’ forefather Abraham was commanded to sacrifice his son Isaac as a burnt offering. (Genesis 22:2) What enabled this loving father to have such unbreakable confidence in Jehovah that he was immediately willing to obey? Hebrews 11:17-19 answers: “By faith Abraham, when he was tested, as good as offered up Isaac, and the man that had gladly received the promises attempted to offer up his only-begotten son, although it had been said to him: ‘What will be called “your seed” will be through Isaac.’ But he reckoned that God was able to raise him up even from the dead; and from there he did receive him also in an illustrative way.”

⁷ Bear in mind that it took Abraham and Isaac three days to reach the site where the sacrifice was to occur. (Genesis 22:4) There was plenty of time for Abraham to reconsider what he had been asked to do. Can we imagine his feelings, his emotions? Isaac’s birth had been such an unexpected cause for joy. That evidence of divine intervention deepened the attachment that Abraham and his formerly barren wife, Sarah, had to God. They certainly lived thereafter in expectation of what the future held for Isaac and for his descendants. Were their dreams coming to an abrupt end, as it might seem because of what God now asked?

8. How did Abraham’s confidence in God extend beyond believing that He could resurrect Isaac?

⁸ Still, Abraham had confidence based on the personal knowledge that intimate friends have of one another. As “Jehovah’s friend,” Abraham “put faith in Jehovah, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” (James 2:23) Abraham’s confidence in Jehovah went further than just believing that God could resurrect Isaac. Abraham was equally convinced that what Jehovah was asking him to do was proper, even though Abraham did not have all the facts. He had no reason to question that Jehovah was righteous in making this request. Then, Abraham’s confidence was strengthened as Jehovah’s angel stepped in to prevent Isaac from actually being killed in sacrifice.—Genesis 22:9-14.

9, 10. (a) When had Abraham earlier displayed confidence in Jehovah? (b) What important lesson can we learn from Abraham?

⁹ Abraham had displayed this same kind of confidence in Jehovah’s righteousness some 25 years earlier. Warned that Sodom and Gomorrah were to be destroyed, he naturally was concerned about the welfare of any righteous people living there, including his nephew Lot. Abraham appealed to God with the words: “It is unthinkable of you that you are acting in this manner to put to death the righteous man with the wicked one so that it has to occur with the righteous man as it does with the wicked! It is unthinkable of you. Is the Judge of all the earth not going to do what is right?”—Genesis 18:25.

¹⁰ The patriarch Abraham was convinced that Jehovah never does anything unrighteous. The psalmist later sang: “Jehovah is righteous in all his ways and loyal in all his works.” (Psalm 145:17) We do well to ask ourselves: ‘Do I accept what Jehovah permits me to experience without doubting his righteousness? Am I convinced that whatever he permits will turn out for my good and for the good of others too?’ If we can answer yes, we have learned an important lesson from Abraham.

Displaying Confidence in Jehovah’s Choices

11, 12. (a) What aspect of confidence has been necessary for God’s servants? (b) What might be a problem for us at times?

¹¹ Those who view Jehovah as their confidence also show confidence in the men Jehovah chooses to use in the outworking of his purposes. For the Israelites, this meant showing confidence in Moses and later in his successor, Joshua. For early Christians, it meant showing confidence in the apostles and older men of the Jerusalem congregation. For us today, it means having confidence in “the faithful and discreet slave” appointed to give us our spiritual “food at the proper time,” as well as in those from among them who form the Governing Body.—Matthew 24:45.

¹² Actually, placing our confidence in those taking the lead in the Christian congregation is for our own benefit. We are told: “Be obedient to those who are taking the lead among you and be submissive, for they are keeping watch over your souls as those who will render an account; that they may do this with joy and not with sighing, for this would be damaging to you.”—Hebrews 13:17.

Avoid Second-Guessing Jehovah’s Choices

13. What reason do we have for confidence in those appointed to take the lead?

¹³ The Bible helps us to be balanced in showing confidence in those taking the lead among Jehovah’s people. We might ask ourselves: ‘Did Moses ever make mistakes? Did the apostles always show the Christlike attitude that Jesus wanted them to have?’ The answers are obvious. Jehovah has chosen to use loyal and devoted men to guide his people, even though they are imperfect men. Accordingly, while elders today are imperfect, we still ought to recognize them as “[appointed by] the holy spirit [to be] overseers, to shepherd the congregation of God.” They deserve our support and respect.—Acts 20:28.

14. What is noteworthy about Jehovah’s choosing Moses rather than Aaron or Miriam as leader?

¹⁴ Aaron was three years older than Moses, but both were younger than their sister, Miriam. (Exodus 2:3, 4; 7:7) And since Aaron was more fluent in speaking than was Moses, he was appointed to serve as his brother’s spokesman. (Exodus 6:29–7:2) Yet, to lead the Israelites, Jehovah did not choose the oldest, Miriam, or the most fluent, Aaron. His choice of Moses was made in full recognition of all the facts and the needs of the moment. When for a time they lacked this clear insight, Aaron and Miriam complained: “Is it just by Moses alone that Jehovah has spoken? Is it not by us also that he has spoken?” Miriam, possibly the prime instigator, was punished for this disrespectful attitude toward Jehovah’s choice, whom she and Aaron should have recognized as “the meekest of all the men who were upon the surface of the ground.”—Numbers 12:1-3, 9-15.

15, 16. How did Caleb prove that he had confidence in Jehovah?

¹⁵ When 12 spies were sent to spy out the Promised Land, 10 brought back a negative report. They threw fear into the hearts of the Israelites by speaking about the Canaanite “men of extraordinary size.” This, in turn, caused the Israelites “to murmur against Moses and Aaron.” But not all the spies displayed lack of confidence in Moses and in Jehovah. We read: “Then Caleb tried to still the people toward Moses and went on to say: ‘Let us go up directly, and we are bound to take possession of it, because we can surely prevail over it.’” (Numbers 13:2, 25–33; 14:2) Caleb’s firm stand was shared by his fellow spy Joshua. Both showed they had made Jehovah their confidence when they said: “If Jehovah has found delight in us, then he will certainly bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that is flowing with milk and honey. Only . . . do not you fear the people of the land . . . Jehovah is with us. Do not fear them.” (Numbers 14:6-9) This confidence in Jehovah was rewarded. Of the adult generation alive at that time, only Caleb, Joshua, and some Levites were privileged to enter the Promised Land.

¹⁶ Some years later Caleb said: “As for me, I followed Jehovah my God fully. . . . And now here Jehovah has preserved me alive, just as he promised, these forty-five years since Jehovah made this promise to Moses when Israel walked in the wilderness, and now here I am today eighty-five years old. Yet I am today as strong as on the day of Moses’ sending me out. As my power was then, so my power is now.” (Joshua 14:6-11) Note Caleb’s positive attitude, his faithfulness, and his physical abilities. Yet, Jehovah had not chosen Caleb to be Moses’ successor. This privilege was extended to Joshua. We can be confident that Jehovah had reasons for his choice, and it was the best choice.

17. What might seemingly have made Peter ineligible for responsibility?

¹⁷ The apostle Peter denied his Master three times. He had also impetuously taken matters into his own hands, striking off the ear of the slave of the high priest. (Matthew 26:47-55, 69-75; John 18:10, 11) Some might say that Peter was a fearful, unbalanced person, unworthy of enjoying special privileges. Yet, who had been given the keys of the Kingdom, being privileged to open up the way to the heavenly calling to three groups? It was Peter.—Acts 2:1-41; 8:14-17; 10:1-48.

18. What error, as mentioned by Jude, do we want to avoid?

¹⁸ These examples show that we must be careful about judging by outward appearances. If we put our confidence in Jehovah, we will not doubt his choices. Although his earthly congregation is made up of imperfect humans, who have no claim to infallibility, he is using them in a mighty way. Jude, Jesus’ half brother, warned first-century Christians of individuals “disregarding lordship and speaking abusively of glorious ones.” (Jude 8-10) Never should we be like them.

19. Why do we have no reason to second-guess Jehovah’s choices?

¹⁹ Jehovah apparently chooses for certain responsibilities individuals who have the particular qualities necessary to guide his people in the way he wants them to go at that particular time. We ought to strive to recognize this fact, not second-guessing God’s choices, but being content humbly to serve where Jehovah has placed us individually. Thus we show that we have made Jehovah our confidence.—Ephesians 4:11-16; Philippians 2:3.

Displaying Confidence in Jehovah’s Righteousness

20, 21. What might we learn from God’s way of dealing with Moses?

²⁰ If we at times tend to put too much confidence in ourselves and too little in Jehovah, let us learn from Moses. When 40 years old, he set out on his own to free the Israelites from Egyptian captivity. His efforts were doubtlessly well meant, but they did not result in Israel’s immediate deliverance, nor in bettering his own situation. In fact, he was forced to flee. Only after undergoing 40 years of arduous training in a foreign land did he qualify to be selected to do what he had wanted to do earlier. This time he could be confident of Jehovah’s backing because now things were being done Jehovah’s way at a time that fitted His timetable.—Exodus 2:11–3:10.

²¹ Each of us might ask himself: ‘Do I sometimes run ahead of Jehovah and the elders appointed in the congregation, trying to speed things up or do things my own way? Instead of feeling overlooked for certain privileges, do I readily accept my ongoing period of training?’ Basically, have we learned an important lesson from Moses?

22. Despite losing a great privilege, how did Moses feel about Jehovah?

²² Moreover, we can learn another lesson from Moses. Numbers 20:7-13 tells us of a mistake that he made, which cost him dearly. He lost the privilege of leading the Israelites into the Promised Land. Did he then respond that Jehovah’s decision in the matter was unjust? Did he retreat into a corner, as it were, sulking because God was treating him so badly? Did Moses lose confidence in Jehovah’s righteousness? We can find the answers in words that Moses himself spoke to Israel shortly before his death. Of Jehovah, Moses said: “Perfect is his activity, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness, with whom there is no injustice; righteous and upright is he.” (Deuteronomy 32:4) Moses certainly retained his confidence in Jehovah to the very end. What about us? Are we individually taking steps to strengthen our confidence in Jehovah and his righteousness? How can we do so? Let us see.

Strengthening Our Confidence in God’s Righteousness

“For your confidence to come to be in Jehovah himself I have given you knowledge.”—PROVERBS 22:19.

1, 2. (a) Why do Jehovah’s Witnesses display confidence in Jehovah? (Proverbs 22:19) (b) What indicates that some individuals need to strengthen their confidence in Jehovah?

TRUE Christians are blessed with an accurate knowledge of Jehovah and of his purposes. A “faithful and discreet slave” lovingly supplies them with spiritual “food at the proper time.” (Matthew 24:45) The knowledge they gain provides them with a solid foundation on which to base confidence in God. Thus, as a group, Jehovah’s Witnesses display remarkable confidence in Jehovah and in his righteousness.

² It appears, however, that as individuals some Witnesses may need to strengthen such confidence. The Society occasionally receives letters that express uncertainty about explanations given in its publications. These doubts may be a reaction to adjustments in understanding, or they may deal with matters that touch the inquirer, especially in an emotional way.—Compare John 6:60, 61.

3. What can happen even to faithful servants of Jehovah, and why?

³ Even true servants of Jehovah experience the truthfulness of Ecclesiastes 9:11: “I returned to see under the sun that the swift do not have the race, nor the mighty ones the battle, nor do the wise also have the food, nor do the understanding ones also have the riches, nor do even those having knowledge have the favor; because time and unforeseen occurrence befall them all.” How might this prove true in an extended, or spiritual, sense? We may have known Christians who were swift about applying Bible counsel, mighty in defending the truth, wise in applying Bible principles, and zealous in the pursuit of accurate knowledge. Yet, because of “time and unforeseen occurrence,” some may now see themselves limited as a result of an accident or advanced age. They may wonder whether they will enter into God’s new world without ever having to suffer death.

4, 5. Why do Christians not have any reason to lose their confidence in Jehovah’s righteousness?

⁴ When a Christian loses his marriage mate, the pain and sense of loss is severe. Together as a couple, they may have served Jehovah for years or even decades. The surviving mate knows that death severs the marriage bond.a (1 Corinthians 7:39) Now, lest his confidence be undermined, he must keep his emotions under control.—Compare Mark 16:8.

⁵ How wise it is to view the death of a mate, parent, child, or close Christian friend as an opportunity to show confidence in Jehovah’s righteousness! Even in the face of personal loss, we can be confident that Jehovah is not unrighteous. We can have confidence that everyone who gains everlasting life—whether through survival or by resurrection—will be happy. Of God, the psalmist says: “You are opening your hand and satisfying the desire of every living thing. Jehovah is righteous in all his ways and loyal in all his works. Jehovah is near to all those calling upon him, to all those who call upon him in trueness. The desire of those fearing him he will perform, and their cry for help he will hear, and he will save them.”—Psalm 145:16-19.

Feelings of Having Suffered Needlessly

6, 7. (a) Why might some Witnesses who suffered in the past now have a different understanding? (b) Why should we not view Jehovah as unrighteous for having permitted such suffering in the past?

⁶ In the past, some Witnesses have suffered for refusing to share in an activity that their conscience now might permit. For example, this might have been their choice years ago as to certain types of civilian service. A brother might now feel that he could conscientiously perform such without overstepping his Christian neutrality regarding the present system of things.

⁷ Was it unrighteous on Jehovah’s part to allow him to suffer for rejecting what he now might do without consequences? Most who have had that experience would not think so. Rather, they rejoice that they had the opportunity of demonstrating publicly and clearly that they were determined to be firm on the issue of universal sovereignty. (Compare Job 27:5.) What reason could anyone have to regret having followed his conscience in taking a firm stand for Jehovah? By loyally upholding Christian principles as they understood them or by responding to the proddings of conscience, they proved worthy of Jehovah’s friendship. Certainly, it is wise to avoid a course that would disturb one’s conscience or that would likely cause others to be stumbled. We can think in this regard of the example that the apostle Paul set.—1 Corinthians 8:12, 13; 10:31-33.

8. Why did Jewish Christians, who formerly held to the Law, have no reason to question Jehovah’s righteousness?

⁸ In order to please Jehovah, the Jews were required to obey the Ten Commandments and also a wide variety of about 600 additional laws. Later, under the Christian arrangement, obedience to these laws as such was no longer a requirement for serving Jehovah, not even for fleshly Jews. The laws no longer binding included those dealing with circumcision, keeping the Sabbath, offering animal sacrifices, and observing certain dietary restrictions. (1 Corinthians 7:19; 10:25; Colossians 2:16, 17; Hebrews 10:1, 11-14) Jews—including the apostles—who became Christians were released from the obligation to keep laws that they were required to obey when they were under the Law covenant. Did they complain that God’s arrangement was unrighteous in having formerly required of them things that were no longer necessary? No, they rejoiced in the broadened understanding of Jehovah’s purposes.—Acts 16:4, 5.

9. What has been true of some Witnesses, but why do they have no cause for regret?

⁹ In modern times, there have been some Witnesses who were very strict in their view of what they would or would not do. For that reason they suffered more than others. Later, increased knowledge helped them to expand their view of matters. But they have no reason to regret having earlier acted in harmony with their conscience, even when this possibly brought extra suffering. It truly is commendable that they demonstrated their willingness to suffer in faithfulness to Jehovah, to “do all things for the sake of the good news.” Jehovah blesses that kind of godly devotion. (1 Corinthians 9:23; Hebrews 6:10) The apostle Peter wrote with insight: “If, when you are doing good and you suffer, you endure it, this is a thing agreeable with God.”—1 Peter 2:20.

Learning From Jonah

10, 11. How did Jonah show a lack of confidence in Jehovah (a) when given the assignment to go to Nineveh? (b) when God did not destroy the Ninevites?

¹⁰ When directed to go to Nineveh, Jonah showed a lack of appreciation for the confidence that Jehovah was placing in him. After a terrifying experience brought on by his own reluctance to obey, Jonah came to his senses, realized his mistake, accepted his foreign assignment, and warned the Ninevites of impending destruction. Then came the unexpected: Because of the Ninevites’ repentant attitude, Jehovah determined to forgo their destruction.—Jonah 1:1–3:10.

¹¹ Jonah’s reaction? Disgruntled, he complained to God in prayer. The gist of his grievance was: ‘I imagined that things would turn out this way. That’s why I didn’t want to come to Nineveh in the first place. Now, after all I’ve gone through, including the terror and humiliation of being swallowed by a big fish, and after my hard work warning the Ninevites of imminent destruction, this! All my work and suffering were for nothing! I might as well be dead!’—Jonah 4:1-3.

12. What can we learn from Jonah’s experience?

¹² Did Jonah have a valid reason for complaint? Was Jehovah unrighteous in extending mercy to repentant wrongdoers? Actually, Jonah should have rejoiced; tens of thousands of people were to be spared execution! (Jonah 4:11) But his disrespectful, complaining attitude showed that he was not expressing profound confidence in Jehovah’s righteousness. He was thinking too much of himself and too little of others. Let us learn from Jonah by keeping ourselves and our personal feelings in the background. Let us be convinced that obeying Jehovah, following the direction given through his organization and accepting his decisions, is the right thing to do. We are convinced that “it will turn out well with those fearing the true God.”—Ecclesiastes 8:12.

Now Is the Time to Strengthen Our Confidence!

13. How can all of us strengthen our confidence in Jehovah?

¹³ Strengthening our confidence in Jehovah is the course of wisdom. (Proverbs 3:5-8) Of course, we must do more than just pray that Jehovah help us become more confident. Confidence grows based on accurate knowledge, so we must make personal Bible study, reading both the Bible and Bible-explanatory literature, part of our daily routine. Regular attendance at Christian meetings is vital, as are good preparation and participation to the extent possible. Making it a habit to share Bible truths with others, tactfully overcoming objections, also deepens our confidence in Jehovah and in his Word. We are thus becoming more involved with him on a daily basis.

14. Why will God’s people shortly be called upon to display their confidence in Jehovah as never before?

¹⁴ In the near future, the greatest time of tribulation ever to strike the human race will break forth suddenly. (Matthew 24:21) When it does, servants of God will need as never before to display confidence in Jehovah’s righteousness and in the direction provided by his organization. In a symbolic way, they will then confidently obey God’s injunction: “Go, my people, enter into your interior rooms, and shut your doors behind you. Hide yourself for but a moment until the denunciation passes over.” (Isaiah 26:20) Already they have entered into the protective atmosphere of over 85,000 congregations in 232 lands. Whatever may additionally be included in the injunction “enter into your interior rooms,” we can be confident that Jehovah will help us to carry it out.

15. How has the matter of confidence been stressed during 1998, and why rightly so?

¹⁵ It is imperative that we strengthen our confidence now. Without confidence in our Christian brothers, in Jehovah’s organization and, above all, in Jehovah himself, survival will be impossible. So how appropriate it is that during 1998, Jehovah’s Witnesses throughout the world have repeatedly been reminded, by the words of their yeartext, that “everyone who calls on the name of Jehovah will be saved”! (Romans 10:13) Of that we must continue to be confident. If we detect even the slightest tinge of uncertainty in this confidence, we should work to rectify it now, yes, today.

Jehovah’s Judgment Will Be Righteous

16. What can happen to confidence if it is not cultivated, and how can we prevent this from happening?

¹⁶ At Hebrews 3:14, anointed Christians are warned: “We actually become partakers of the Christ only if we make fast our hold on the confidence we had at the beginning firm to the end.” In principle, these words also apply to Christians who have an earthly hope. Initial confidence can erode if it is not developed. How vital that we continue pursuing accurate knowledge, thereby strengthening the foundation upon which our confidence is based!

17. Why can we be confident that as regards survival, Jesus will judge correctly?

¹⁷ All nations will shortly be examined by Christ so that he can “separate people one from another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.” (Matthew 25:31-33) We can be confident that Christ will be righteous in judging who is worthy of survival. Jehovah has given him the wisdom, insight, and other necessary qualities “to judge the inhabited earth in righteousness.” (Acts 17:30, 31) Let our conviction be like that of Abraham, who said: “It is unthinkable of you [Jehovah] that you are acting in this manner to put to death the righteous man with the wicked one so that it has to occur with the righteous man as it does with the wicked! It is unthinkable of you. Is the Judge of all the earth not going to do what is right?”—Genesis 18:25.

18. Why should we not become overly concerned about what we may not know at present?

¹⁸ With complete confidence in Jehovah’s righteousness, we need not worry about finding answers to questions like: ‘How will babies and small children be judged? Might it be that a large number of people will not yet have been reached with the good news when Armageddon arrives? What about the mentally ill? What about . . . ?’ Granted, at present we may not know how Jehovah will resolve these issues. He will do so, however, in a righteous and merciful way. We should never doubt that. In fact, we may be amazed and delighted to observe him resolve them in a way that we never even considered.—Compare Job 42:3; Psalm 78:11-16; 136:4-9; Matthew 15:31; Luke 2:47.

19, 20. (a) Why is it not wrong to ask reasonable questions? (b) When will Jehovah provide needed answers?

¹⁹ Jehovah’s organization does not discourage sincere, timely questions, as some opposers mistakenly claim. (1 Peter 1:10-12) However, the Bible counsels that we avoid foolish, speculative questions. (Titus 3:9) Asking reasonable questions and searching God’s Word and Christian publications to find Scriptural answers can increase our accurate knowledge and can thus strengthen our confidence in Jehovah. The organization follows the example of Jesus. He refrained from commenting on questions for which the proper time for answering had not arrived. He explained: “I have many things yet to say to you, but you are not able to bear them at present.” (John 16:12) He also admitted that some things he himself did not know at that point.—Matthew 24:36.

²⁰ Jehovah still has much to reveal. How wise it is to wait upon him, confident that the timeliness of his manifesting his purposes will be right for meeting the needs of the occasion. We can be confident that once Jehovah’s due time has arrived, we will have the joy of gaining additional insight into his ways. Yes, we will be rewarded, provided that we exercise absolute confidence in Jehovah and in the organization he is using. Proverbs 14:26 assures us: “In the fear of Jehovah there is strong confidence, and for his sons there will come to be a refuge.”