Faced with such circumstances, what can we do? While it is natural to experience fear when one’s life is threatened, we can keep in mind the apostle Paul’s reassuring words: “[Jehovah] has said: ‘I will by no means leave you nor by any means forsake you.’ So that we may be of good courage and say: ‘Jehovah is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?’” (Hebrews 13:5, 6) We can be confident that Jehovah feels the same about his servants today. However, it is one thing to know Jehovah’s promise but quite another to be convinced that he will act in our behalf. It is therefore vitally important that we examine the basis on which trust in Jehovah is built and that we do everything we can to strengthen and maintain that trust. If we do that, “the peace of God that excels all thought will guard [our] hearts and [our] mental powers by means of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7) Then when trials do come, we will be able to think clearly and deal with them wisely.

Since Jehovah God is the Almighty, he is certainly capable of protecting his servants under any circumstance. (Isaiah 33:22; Revelation 4:8) But even when Jehovah allows some of his servants to prove faithful right unto death, he still sustains them and helps them to maintain their integrity, enabling them to remain steadfast, joyful, and calm right to the end. We can therefore have the same confidence as the psalmist: “God is for us a refuge and strength, a help that is readily to be found during distresses. That is why we shall not fear, though the earth undergo change and though the mountains totter into the heart of the vast sea.”​—Psalm 46:1, 2.