Treasures From God’s Word for the Week of December 7-13, 2026

Theme: We Have Reasons to Preach Without Fear

Before knocking on a door or starting a conversation about the Bible, we may feel some apprehension. How will the person react? Will we know what to say? Feeling nervous does not mean that we lack love for Jehovah. What matters is what we do with those feelings. Ezekiel’s experience helps us look beyond our limitations and recognize that we have solid reasons to preach without fear, even when we expect an unfavorable reaction.

Ezekiel received a difficult assignment. He would have to speak to people who did not want to listen to Jehovah. So it was understandable that their attitude might intimidate him. But Jehovah did not ask him to rely solely on his own strength. He assured him that he would prepare him to face that resistance. As we read Ezekiel 3:8, 9, let us note who would give him the firmness he needed to fulfill his assignment.

Ezekiel 3:8-9 — Look! I have made your face exactly as hard as their faces and your forehead exactly as hard as their foreheads. I have made your forehead like a diamond, harder than flint. Do not be afraid of them or be terrified by their faces, for they are a rebellious house.”

The comparison to a diamond conveys the idea of great firmness. Jehovah could make Ezekiel stand firm in front of those who resisted his message. He was not teaching him to treat people harshly, but to avoid being paralyzed by them. His courage would not depend on finding friendly faces. It would depend on Jehovah’s support. That difference can also change the way we approach the ministry.

We too need the help of the holy spirit to preach. Satan tries to stop this work, and by our own strength we could not stand up to him. However, each time we share in the ministry despite opposition, we demonstrate that his threats have not succeeded in stopping us. The fact that we continue preaching faithfully proves that Jehovah is giving us strength through his spirit and that we have his approval.

Think of a publisher who goes out preaching after receiving an unpleasant response. He may still be nervous, but he asks Jehovah for help and tries again. His courage does not consist in feeling no fear, but in moving forward while trusting in him. Moreover, a negative reaction does not prove that he is a poor preacher. Ezekiel was told that when those people rejected him, they were rejecting Jehovah.

This leads us to another reason to speak courageously: The message is not ours. We do not have to defend personal opinions or convince others that we know more. We represent Jehovah and make his teachings known. But to convey them with conviction, we must first listen to and accept them ourselves. Notice that order in the instructions Jehovah gave Ezekiel. Let us read Ezekiel 3:10, 11.

Ezekiel 3:10-11 — He went on to say to me: “Son of man, take to heart and listen to all my words that I speak to you. Go in among the exiles of your people and speak to them. Tell them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah says,’ whether they listen or refuse to listen.”

Before going to speak, Ezekiel had to listen to Jehovah’s words and accept them in his heart. It was not enough to repeat a message from memory. He had to let that message influence him. The same is true of us. When we read the Bible and meditate on what it teaches, our confidence increases. Then we speak, not simply because we have prepared some phrases, but because we are convinced of what Jehovah says.

That is why in the ministry we endeavor to read from the Bible, explain its teachings, and reason with people. For example, when preparing a conversation, we can ask ourselves: What Bible teaching do I want to convey? What scripture supports it? How can I simply explain the relationship between the two? This preparation helps us direct attention to God’s Word. The person can see that we are not offering ideas invented by us.

Remembering where the message comes from also removes a burden: Its value does not depend on our ability to speak or on the listener’s response. It is reliable because it is based on God’s Word. Paul had to summon up courage to preach after suffering mistreatment, and he did so with Jehovah’s help. We too can rely on him and speak with confidence, even if we still feel nervous when starting a conversation.

But if some people do not want to listen, why keep trying? Because what we bring them can save their lives. We do not preach merely to overcome our fears or complete an assignment. We care about people and want them to have the opportunity to listen to Jehovah. The following words addressed to Ezekiel show the seriousness of that responsibility. Let us read Ezekiel 3:18, 19.

Ezekiel 3:18-19 — When I say to someone wicked, ‘You will surely die,’ but you do not warn him, and you fail to speak in order to warn the wicked one to turn from his wicked course so that he may stay alive, he will die for his error because he is wicked, but I will ask his blood back from you. But if you warn someone wicked and he does not turn back from his wickedness and from his wicked course, he will die for his error, but you will certainly save your own life.

Jehovah made it clear that Ezekiel had to warn the wicked one. He could not decide for him or force him to change, but he did have the responsibility to speak. If he gave the warning and the person rejected it, Ezekiel would have fulfilled his assignment. This helps us maintain balance: We take the preaching work very seriously, but we do not carry the responsibility for deciding how others will respond. That decision belongs to them.

Noah’s example also encourages us. Although the people were indifferent, he faithfully carried out his task of giving them a warning. His perseverance reminds us that indifference does not eliminate the need to preach. We continue speaking because we want others to live. And that work is also related to our own salvation, as shown by the counsel Paul gave Timothy. Let us read 1 Timothy 4:16.

1 Timothy 4:16 — Pay constant attention to yourself and to your teaching. Persevere in these things, for by doing this you will save both yourself and those who listen to you.

Paul linked perseverance with paying attention both to conduct and to teaching. Therefore, it is not merely a matter of saying the right words. We want to live in harmony with what we teach and continue helping those who listen to us. Our way of life must be in harmony with the message. At the same time, we take care with our teaching so that people learn what the Bible really says.

If before a conversation we worry about making a poor impression, we can shift the focus of our attention: Instead of thinking only about ourselves, let us think about the good the person may receive. Perhaps he or she will hear something that motivates that person to learn about Jehovah. We cannot anticipate the response, but we can respectfully offer that opportunity. The desire to help gives us a compelling reason to overcome our fears.

So when we again feel nervous before preaching, let us remember these three reasons: Jehovah gives us the strength we need, the message comes from him, and our work can save lives. We do not need to rely on our own ability or measure our faithfulness by the reaction of others. Let us trust in Jehovah, use his Word, and think about people. With that support and those reasons, we can continue preaching courageously.