in his Word and in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Redeemer. As we progress in knowledge and understanding we will grow in faith and love to the point where we will want to dedicate ourselves to God.—Luke 8:15; Matt. 5:3.

God’s Word also counsels us to count the cost. Not so as to determine whether we should dedicate ourselves or not—there can be but one answer to that question—but so as to appreciate what is involved, so that we will be prepared to “say goodbye to all [our] belongings,” if need be. And in making the decision to dedicate ourselves to God we may not be influenced by pressure of friends, emotionalism, fear of man, or any other outside factors.—Luke 14:25-33.

Once having dedicated ourselves to God, we must carry out that dedication. “Better is it that you vow not than that you vow and do not pay.” The very first requirement is that we go on record before witnesses as having made a dedication by being baptized “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit.” And ever after we must keep on “seeking first the kingdom” of God.—Eccl. 5:5; Matt. 28:19, 20; 6:33.

We must continue to feed on God’s Word, to associate with his people and endeavor to bring forth the fruitage of the spirit, which is “love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, mildness, self-control.” We must also keep separate from this old world’s politics, commercialism and hypocritical religions, knowing that whoever “wants to be a friend of the world is constituting himself an enemy of God.” And we must actively share in preaching “this good news of the kingdom” to the extent of our opportunities and abilities.—Gal. 5:22, 23; Jas. 4:4; Matt. 24:14.

The Waters of Life Find a Way

One of Jehovah’s witnesses who had suffered as a conscientious objector in Communist Hungary told how Bible literature reached Christian ministers even in the military prisons. He said:

“The order was very severe in the military prison of the ninth district of Budapest. It seemed to be entirely impossible to get anything in there that was forbidden. Yet the waters of life found their way to the brothers through subterranean streams. Three days after getting my sentence I was sent out into the city to do certain work. From my working place I was able to get in touch with brothers. The prisoners suffered great hunger, both spiritual and physical. Only cabbage, carrots, beans and peas without any fat were on the menu. As regards spiritual food, we had practically nothing left.

“However, on a certain occasion I managed to take in a Watchtower article. When I returned from work I had a dirty cement bucket with me. At the entrance I was searched very thoroughly and then told to move on. Intentionally I didn’t pay much attention to my bucket. Immediately the guard shouted after me: ‘Why do you leave this bucket here?’ I picked it up and took it along. The Watchtower article was in it. I had put paper on the bottom, on the paper the article, and then again paper covered with cement.

“Later on I worked again outside as a repairman. Thanks to a soldier I could contact the free brothers again. From wood I made a toolbox for myself. I made it with a double bottom and put the Watchtower articles in between. I always threw many sharp pieces of iron into the box, so that the guard wouldn’t do much searching. In this way it was very easy to smuggle the study articles inside. As repairman I had access to every cell and so was able to pass the spiritual food from one to the other within the prison. Thus, by the undeserved kindness of Jehovah, the brothers got some spiritual provision.”