Watchtower Study for the week of February 8-14, 2027

Keep “your eyes … on the things unseen”

1, 2. Why did first-century Christians need to keep their eyes fixed on things they could not see? (2 Corinthians 4:18).

2 Corinthians 4:18 — while we keep our eyes, not on the things seen, but on the things unseen. For the things seen are temporary, but the things unseen are everlasting.

Answer 1: Because they were suffering many difficulties and needed to remember that these would not last forever. Paul helped them compare their temporary problems with the everlasting hope they had. Focusing on that hope did not mean ignoring what they were suffering, but viewing it in a balanced way. In this way, they could keep going without allowing adversities to occupy all their attention.

Answer 2: Those Christians needed strength to endure opposition. The paragraph mentions that they felt uncertain, were under pressure, and suffered persecution. If they thought only about those circumstances, they could become very discouraged. That is why Paul encouraged them to focus on Jehovah’s promises. Their hope gave them a reason to persevere, even if their problems did not disappear right away. We too can remember what Jehovah promises when a difficulty seems to occupy all our thoughts.

Answer 3: Keeping their eyes fixed on their hope also helped them make good decisions. When under pressure, a person may feel inclined to decide solely on the basis of immediate relief. But those Christians needed to act in a way that showed confidence in Jehovah. By keeping his promises in mind, they could think beyond the problem of the moment. Thus, their faith would be reflected not only in what they hoped for but also in what they did.

Answer 4: Although they could not yet see their hope fulfilled, they had solid reasons to trust in it. This was not a matter of taking their mind off reality, but of remembering that present problems were not the whole of reality. Jehovah’s promises were also part of it. Keeping those promises clearly in mind enabled them to endure better and to guide their decisions. That same approach helps us not to measure our future solely by how difficult today may be.

3. Why is it so important for us to keep our eyes fixed on the new world?

Psalms 37:10-11 — Just a little while longer, and the wicked will be no more; You will look at where they were, And they will not be there. But the meek will possess the earth, And they will find exquisite delight in the abundance of peace.

Answer 1: Because Jehovah promises a future very different from the difficulties we see now. This psalm helps us think about the peace that the meek will enjoy, not just about current problems. If we keep that promise in mind, we will remember that suffering has a limit. This enables us to face each day with hope, even while we are going through painful circumstances.

Answer 2: It is important because daily problems can absorb all our attention. Sometimes it is not one difficulty but the accumulation of many that exhausts us. Thinking about the new world helps us regain a balanced perspective: what we suffer now is real, but it will not be permanent. Jehovah has promised something better. Remembering this prevents us from ending up viewing our life only through the worries we have at this moment.

Answer 3: Keeping our eyes fixed on the new world reminds us that our difficulties are temporary, no matter how hard they may be. This does not minimize them or mean that they do not hurt us. Rather, it enables us to compare them with everything Jehovah promises for the future. When a trial seems endless, we can stop and think about that hope. In this way, we prevent present suffering from making us lose sight of the life that awaits us.

Answer 4: Our situation resembles that of first-century Christians: we too live in difficult times and need to take care about what we focus our mind on. Problems present themselves without our seeking them, but keeping hope alive requires that we think about it. That is why it is good to return again and again to Jehovah’s promises. We cannot avoid every worry, but we can try not to let them displace the new world from our thoughts.

4. What example helps us understand how faith influences the decisions we make now?

Answer 1: The example is that of a pregnant woman who expects to have a healthy baby. She thinks about the joy of becoming a mother, but she also makes decisions to care for her health and that of the baby. Similarly, our hope of living in the new world should not remain merely a matter of imagining a happy future. If we truly trust Jehovah’s promises, that trust will influence the way we use our life now.

Answer 2: A mother-to-be does not wait until her baby is born before beginning to care for it. The expectation of having the baby already influences her present decisions. This detail helps us understand how faith works: although the new world has not yet arrived, our confidence in it can guide what we do today. We do not need to see the promises fulfilled before acting in harmony with them. We can show even now that this future is real to us.

Answer 3: The example of the pregnant woman highlights the difference between wanting something and acting in harmony with that desire. She does not merely think about how happy she will be; she also cares for her health and that of her baby. We can ask ourselves whether our hope is producing a similar effect. Do our decisions show that we want to live in the new world? Strong faith is manifested in actions, not only in the feelings that thinking about the future produces in us.

Answer 4: I find it helpful that the example connects a future hope with decisions in daily life. The pregnant woman has a very specific reason to take care of herself: she is thinking about her baby. We too have a powerful reason to choose wisely how we use our life: we hope to live forever in the new world. That hope not only comforts us when there are problems. It also helps us decide what deserves our attention and what place the different activities should occupy.

5, 6. a) What did Jehovah promise Abraham?

Genesis 12:2 — I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and I will make your name great, and you will become a blessing.

Answer 1: Jehovah promised him that a great nation would come from him. It was an extraordinary promise because Abraham and Sarah were advanced in years and had no children. To trust in its fulfillment, they needed to look beyond their circumstances. Their hope was not based on what seemed possible from a human standpoint, but on the confidence they had in Jehovah.

Answer 2: The promise included that Abraham would have very many descendants and that nations and kings would come from him. Jehovah was speaking to him about a future that Abraham could not yet see. At that time he did not even have a son with Sarah, but God described a numerous offspring to him. This helps us understand why he needed strong faith: he had to trust Jehovah’s word more than what he saw around him.

Answer 3: Jehovah assured him that he would become a great nation, a promise that would change his life. What is significant is that Abraham and Sarah’s age and their having no children did not prevent them from trusting in God. To them, those circumstances did not cancel what Jehovah had said. Their example invites us to remember who makes the promise when we still cannot see how it will be fulfilled.

Answer 4: In addition to announcing that he would have many descendants, Jehovah promised to bless him and make him a blessing. Thus, the promise was not limited to satisfying his desire to have a child. Abraham could trust that Jehovah had a purpose for him and his descendants. Although he did not know all the details, he had reason to let that promise guide his life.

5, 6. b) How did Abraham and Sarah demonstrate their faith? (Genesis 17:1, 2, 6; see also the picture).

Genesis 12:1 — And Jehovah said to Abram: “Go out from your land and away from your relatives and from the house of your father to the land that I will show you.

Answer 1: They demonstrated their faith by obeying Jehovah’s command to leave their country and move to the place he would indicate to them. They did not merely say that they trusted the promise; they made a decision that changed their life. Their obedience showed that they considered Jehovah’s word to be sure, even though they could not yet see how it would be fulfilled.

Answer 2: Abraham and Sarah acted before seeing the promise of offspring fulfilled. Although they were advanced in years and had no children, they did not wait for their circumstances to change before obeying. This shows that their faith did not depend on first receiving what had been promised. We can imitate them by obeying Jehovah now, rather than thinking that we will do so when it is easier or when we understand all the details of the future.

Answer 3: Their faith was seen in their willingness to leave their country and relatives in order to follow Jehovah’s direction. It was a concrete decision, not merely an expression of good wishes. The paragraph helps us see that trusting in God may require important changes. Abraham and Sarah accepted those changes because they valued what he had promised them. Their example encourages us to allow our hope to influence our own decisions.

Answer 4: The image of Abraham and Sarah beside their tent helps us think about the life they led after obeying Jehovah. They had not yet seen everything that had been promised, but they had organized their life around that hope. Their faith can be seen there: it was not an idea separate from their everyday life. We too demonstrate confidence in God’s promises when our present decisions are in harmony with them.

7, 8. Why was Abraham willing to obey the command to sacrifice Isaac?

Hebrews 11:19 — But he reasoned that God was able to raise him up even from the dead, and he did receive him from there in an illustrative way.

Answer 1: Because he was convinced that Jehovah would fulfill his promise through Isaac, even if that meant resurrecting him. Abraham did not know exactly how the situation would be resolved, but he trusted in God’s power. His reasoning shows very strong faith: He did not allow how difficult the command was to make him doubt what Jehovah had already assured him.

Answer 2: Abraham kept clearly in mind that Jehovah had designated Isaac as the son through whom his offspring would come. Although Isaac did not yet have any children, Abraham was sure that this promise would not fail. That is why he was willing to obey. His trust did not depend on understanding all the steps beforehand. He teaches us to remember what we know about Jehovah and his promises when a situation is difficult for us to understand.

Answer 3: What is extraordinary is that Abraham believed in the possibility of a resurrection when there was no record of anyone having come back to life. He did not base his faith on having previously seen a similar case. He trusted that Jehovah had the power to fulfill his word. This helps us understand the depth of his faith: The absence of a precedent did not lead him to place limits on what God could do.

Answer 4: He was willing to obey because Jehovah’s promise was so certain to him that it was as if he could already see Isaac’s future descendants. His attention was not focused only on what was happening at that moment, but on what God had guaranteed for the future. That trust guided his conduct. The lesson for us is that a well-rooted hope can give us the strength to obey even under very difficult circumstances.

Answer 5: His willingness to obey demonstrated that he fully trusted in Jehovah. God stopped him before he sacrificed Isaac, so Abraham did not actually take his life. However, by his actions he had already shown the extent to which he trusted in the divine promise. The account emphasizes that his faith did not remain mere words. It is important for us too that our trust in Jehovah be reflected in obedience, and not merely in what we claim to believe.

9. a) What was life like for the Israelites when Moses was young?

Genesis 13:15 — because all the land that you see, I will give to you and your offspring as a lasting possession.

Answer 1: The Israelites were slaves in Egypt, although Jehovah had promised to give them the land of Canaan. There was a great contrast between what they were experiencing and what God had announced. This contrast helps us understand why faith was necessary: Their present situation did not yet show the fulfillment of the promise, but that did not mean that Jehovah had forgotten it.

Answer 2: The Israelites’ life was very hard because they were subjected to slavery. The image shows the Egyptians beating them and Moses suffering when he saw such treatment. So they were not simply living far from Canaan; they were experiencing mistreatment. Keeping that suffering in mind helps us appreciate the decision Moses would later make to take his stand with God’s people.

Answer 3: While Moses was living a comfortable life, the Israelites were living as slaves. This contrast is important for understanding the account: Identifying himself with them would not offer Moses an easier life. Yet their difficult situation did not change the fact that they were God’s people. The example reminds us that material advantages are not the measure of what truly has value.

Answer 4: The Israelites were in Egypt as slaves, not enjoying the land that Jehovah had promised to Abraham’s offspring. From the standpoint of their immediate situation, it may have seemed difficult to understand how that promise would be fulfilled. Thus, the paragraph prepares the contrast between what could be seen and what Jehovah had said. Moses needed to look beyond those circumstances in order to make a decision based on faith.

9. b) What was Moses’ life like?

Acts 7:22 — So Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians. In fact, he was powerful in his words and deeds.

Answer 1: Moses had received an outstanding education in Egypt and was living a comfortable life. Pharaoh’s daughter had adopted him when he was a baby, so his circumstances were very different from those of the enslaved Israelites. However, those advantages did not cause him to stop valuing Jehovah’s promise. His example shows that comfort does not have to determine our priorities.

Answer 2: Unlike the other Israelites, Moses had been raised as the adopted son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He had a comfortable life and had been educated in the wisdom of the Egyptians. Therefore, his later decision to take his stand with God’s people was significant. He was not seeking to escape a life of slavery; he was choosing what he considered more valuable than Egypt’s advantages.

Answer 3: Moses enjoyed advantages that the enslaved Israelites did not have, but he kept his eyes fixed on Jehovah’s promise. The paragraph says that his parents had probably told him about it. We should preserve that nuance, because it is not presented as a certainty. What the account does emphasize is that his comfortable life and Egyptian education did not displace his trust in what God had promised.

Answer 4: His life was comfortable, but that did not mean that Egypt was the most important thing to him. Moses could compare the advantages he could see with the future that Jehovah had promised his people. That difference between his circumstances and his priorities is a useful lesson. We can care for our needs and value what we have without allowing comfort to weigh more than our relationship with Jehovah.

10. What decision did Moses make at 40 years of age, and why? (Hebrews 11:24-26; see also the picture.)

Hebrews 11:24-26 — By faith Moses, when grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing to be mistreated with the people of God rather than to have the temporary enjoyment of sin, because he considered the reproach of the Christ to be riches greater than the treasures of Egypt, for he looked intently toward the payment of the reward.

Answer 1: Moses chose to take his stand with God’s people even though this meant suffering. The reward promised by Jehovah was more valuable to him than Egypt’s advantages. His faith determined his priorities.

Answer 2: At 40 years of age, Moses decided to share in the mistreatment suffered by God’s people instead of continuing to enjoy Egypt’s advantages. He did so because he trusted that Jehovah would give the Israelites the land of Canaan. To him, having a part in the fulfillment of that promise was worth more than wealth or glory. His decision shows that faith can lead us to choose what is right even when it is not the most comfortable choice.

Answer 3: Moses did not evaluate his options only by what he could gain at that moment. He thought about the future reward and decided to identify himself with Jehovah’s people. The image helps us see that he was aware of what the Israelites were suffering. Even so, he did not allow that reality to separate him from them. His example encourages us to ask whether our decisions give greater weight to immediate benefits or to what Jehovah promises.

Answer 4: He chose to be with God’s people because he wanted to have a part in the fulfillment of the divine promise. Later, Jehovah assigned him to bring the Israelites out of Egypt. The order of events is interesting: Moses had already shown his faith by making that decision. He did not wait to receive that assignment before demonstrating his priorities. We too can now choose what pleases Jehovah, without yet knowing all the opportunities for service that we will have.

11. How did other faithful men and women of the past show that God’s promises were real to them? (Hebrews 11:39, 40.)

Hebrews 11:39-40 — And yet all of these, although they received a favorable witness because of their faith, did not obtain the fulfillment of the promise, because God had foreseen something better for us, so that they might not be made perfect apart from us.

Answer 1: They demonstrated it by remaining faithful even though they did not receive everything that had been promised during their lifetime. Jehovah recognized their faith, and their decisions showed that they trusted him. Their example teaches us that we do not need to see all the promises fulfilled in order to obey. We can be sure of them and allow them to guide our conduct from now on.

Answer 2: Those men and women made decisions that supported Jehovah’s purpose. To them, God’s promises were not a distant possibility unrelated to their daily life. They were so real that they influenced what they were willing to do. This allows us to evaluate our own faith: It is not enough to say that we believe in the new world. We also want that hope to be reflected in our priorities and in the way we face difficulties.

Answer 3: They maintained their trust even though the complete fulfillment of the promises lay in the future. The paragraph explains that they will see it when they are resurrected in the new world. Thus, their faithfulness did not depend on receiving all the benefits immediately. This detail strengthens us when we must wait. Delay from our viewpoint does not make the promise any less certain, and remaining faithful while we wait demonstrates that we truly trust in Jehovah.

Answer 4: Their actions made their faith visible. For example, among the people mentioned is Rahab, who peacefully received the spies. The chapter also recalls many other faithful servants. Although their circumstances were different, all of them left examples that strengthen our trust in Jehovah. When reading those accounts, we can observe how faith influenced their decisions and think about what will help us to endure or to act wisely.

12. How does faith in Jehovah’s promises help us endure life’s blows?

Isaiah 33:24 — And no resident will say: “I am sick.” The people dwelling in the land will be pardoned for their error.

Answer 1: The promise that sicknesses will disappear gives us a concrete hope when we receive a serious diagnosis. At first, we may feel devastated, but remembering what Jehovah will do can gradually help us regain a positive attitude. Faith does not mean that the news stops hurting; it means that we continue to see a future beyond the illness.

Answer 2: It helps us because we know that the painful circumstances we are experiencing now are not the future Jehovah wants for us. He has promised a new world where we will be able to live forever. Having that hope firmly rooted gives us the strength to keep going when an unexpected blow comes. Like Abraham, Sarah, and Moses, we can be so convinced of God’s promises that they influence the way we face what still causes us suffering.

Answer 3: The example of a serious illness shows that faith can help us gradually. The paragraph acknowledges that at first a person may feel devastated and that regaining a positive attitude may take time. That is comforting, because being sad does not necessarily mean that we lack faith. What matters is to keep remembering Jehovah’s promise. That confidence can sustain us as we come to terms with the situation and learn to live with the difficulty.

Answer 4: Faith enables us to give more weight to what Jehovah promises than to the impression that our suffering will never end. Faithful servants of the past considered his promises certain, even though they had not yet seen them fulfilled. We can cultivate that same confidence. When we suffer, thinking about the life God offers us is not simply an attempt to distract ourselves. It is remembering a solid reason to keep hope and continue enduring.

13. a) Why is it good for us to imagine ourselves in Paradise?

Hebrews 6:17-18 — In this same way, when God decided to demonstrate more clearly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, in order that through two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to the refuge may have strong encouragement to take firm hold of the hope set before us.

Answer 1: Imagining Paradise makes our hope more real. This passage gives it a secure foundation: Jehovah does not lie, nor does he change his purpose. We are thinking about a future that he guarantees.

Answer 2: It is beneficial because it helps us relate Jehovah’s promises to our own life. We can think about what it will mean to enjoy perfect health, live in true peace, or welcome our resurrected loved ones. In this way, Paradise stops being merely a general idea and occupies a more real place in our thoughts. The goal is not to invent details, but to meditate appreciatively on the blessings Jehovah has actually promised.

Answer 3: Imagining ourselves there can strengthen our desire to keep waiting on Jehovah. The paragraph recommends using the pictures in our publications and the videos to think about the blessings of the new world. These aids can direct our attention to health, peace, and the resurrection. But what matters is not merely enjoying a beautiful picture. We want it to move us to meditate on God’s promises and make them more real to us.

13. b) Besides using our imagination, what must we do if we want to have strong faith?

Answer 1: We must give our faith a Scriptural foundation. Meditating on the fact that Jehovah cannot lie and that his purpose does not change convinces us that our hope is secure.

Answer 2: We need to take time to think about Bible accounts and prophecies that strengthen our trust in Jehovah. The paragraph raises very personal questions: Which account strengthens my faith, and which texts convince me that God’s purpose will be fulfilled? It is not simply a matter of knowing the answers others would give. We want to identify our own Scriptural reasons for trusting. Meditating on them will give our hope an increasingly solid foundation.

Answer 3: In addition to imagining the blessings of Paradise, we need to reflect on the evidence that Jehovah will fulfill his promises. Imagination helps us appreciate that future, but faith needs a firm basis. That is why it is important not to limit ourselves to reading one text and moving on to the next. We can pause and ask ourselves what it teaches us about Jehovah and why it strengthens our confidence in him. That time of meditation strengthens conviction, not just emotion.

14. If we have faith in God’s promises, what decisions will we make about entertainment?

Psalms 11:5 — Jehovah examines the righteous one as well as the wicked one; He hates anyone who loves violence.

Answer 1: We will avoid entertainment that promotes a love of violence. This psalm shows that it is not a matter of indifference to Jehovah: he rejects the loving of violence. If we hope to live in a world where violence will not exist, we want our tastes to be in harmony with that hope. So when choosing a movie, song, or program, we will consider how Jehovah views its content.

Answer 2: We will reject entertainment that contains violence, sexual immorality, or spiritism. The paragraph’s reasoning is very clear: those things will not exist in the new world because Jehovah hates them. So it would make no sense to desire that future and at the same time amuse ourselves with what God will eliminate. Our faith helps us seek consistency between what we hope for and what we choose to watch or listen to in our daily life.

Answer 3: When deciding how to entertain ourselves, we will not think only about whether something interests us. We will also ask ourselves whether it reflects the values of the new world we hope for. Many movies, songs, and programs present things that Jehovah disapproves of. Keeping his promises in mind helps us evaluate these options with a spiritual criterion. Thus, our choice will depend not only on what we feel like doing at that moment, but on the kind of life we want to lead and on our friendship with Jehovah.

Answer 4: Faith will move us to examine whether our entertainment agrees with our hope. We can ask ourselves whether we are enjoying something that we know will have no place in the new world. That question helps us view the decision personally, without focusing on what others choose. What matters is that our tastes show that we value what Jehovah loves and that we truly want to live according to his standards.

15. What have some brothers decided to do with their free time, and why? (See also the picture.)

Answer 1: Some families have decided to include in their free time activities that draw them closer to Jehovah and his organization. For example, some parents visited Kingdom Halls and branch offices during their trips so that their daughters would appreciate the worldwide brotherhood. It was not simply a matter of seeing places, but of helping their daughters appreciate their brothers. In this way, they used enjoyable family moments to strengthen their faith as well.

Answer 2: One couple decided to dedicate part of their free time to learning about creation with their son. They visited museums and aquariums and invited other families to join them. These activities allowed them to enjoy themselves together while also learning more about Jehovah’s works. The example shows that relaxation and strengthening faith do not have to be separate. We can look for enjoyable activities that also help us appreciate our Creator more.

Answer 3: The picture shows parents and their son enjoying a visit to a museum at Bethel. It illustrates one way to use free time to draw closer to Jehovah and his organization. The purpose of the paragraph is not to impose an activity on all families, but to encourage us to think about the effect of our choices. Each Christian decides how to use that time, but can try to ensure that some activities make his or her hope more real and valuable.

Answer 4: These brothers have chosen activities that allow them to learn from creation and get to know other servants of Jehovah better. What unites the examples is not a specific destination or a single way of spending a vacation, but the desire to strengthen the family’s faith. This gives us a practical application: when planning our free time, we can ask ourselves what will help us enjoy ourselves together and, in addition, draw closer to Jehovah.

16. If we have faith in God’s promises, what decisions will we make about material things? (1 Corinthians 7:29-31; see also the picture).

Matthew 6:33 — “Keep on, then, seeking first the Kingdom and his righteousness, and all these other things will be added to you.

Answer 1: We will give priority to God’s Kingdom instead of making the pursuit of material things the center of our life. Jesus did not overlook our needs, but he indicated what should come first. If we trust in Jehovah’s promises, we will organize our decisions around that priority. We will take care of food, clothing, and housing without allowing the desire to acquire more to displace our service to God.

Answer 2: We will have a balanced view of possessions. We all need food, clothing, and a place to live, so the article does not say that these things are unimportant. The question is what place we give them. Strong faith helps us distinguish between caring for our needs and making the acquisition of goods our main goal. If the new world is real to us, we will want our material decisions to leave room for Kingdom interests.

Answer 3: We will not invest our entire life in a world that is passing away. We can use what is necessary from this system without allowing it to absorb all our interests. That is a practical consequence of believing Jehovah’s promises: we value doing his will more than accumulating temporary things. Before making a material decision, we can consider whether it will help us maintain our spiritual priorities or whether it will eventually cause them to be pushed aside.

Answer 4: The image of the married couple beside the witnessing cart helps us think about the place we give to service to Jehovah. The paragraph explains that demonstrating our faith involves putting Kingdom interests first. This does not mean neglecting our needs, but rather avoiding the pursuit of more possessions taking away what is most important. Our hope becomes visible when decisions about material things allow us to continue giving Jehovah our time and attention.

17. What decisions have some brothers made because they are convinced of God’s promises? (See also the picture).

1 Timothy 6:6 — To be sure, there is great gain in godly devotion along with contentment.

Answer 1: Many young people have chosen some aspect of full-time service and have experienced the value of serving Jehovah while being content with what they have. Their decision shows that they see the life God promises as very near. They have not placed all their hope in what this system offers. Instead, they have chosen to direct their future in a way that allows them to devote more time to serving Jehovah.

Answer 2: Some brothers have decided to devote their life to full-time service because they are convinced of Jehovah’s promises. When thinking about their future, they have not limited themselves to asking what opportunities this world offers. They have kept in mind that this system has only a short time left. The image of the young man helping with a construction project helps us think of ways to use our strength and abilities in the service of Jehovah and his organization.

Answer 3: Many young people have chosen full-time service, but the paragraph also reminds us that decisions such as marrying or having children are personal. Each choice has advantages and difficulties, so we should not turn the choice of others into a rule for everyone. The key question is whether our own decisions reflect confidence in God’s promises. This approach helps us evaluate our future with faith and, at the same time, respect the decisions of others.

Answer 4: The young people mentioned do not regret choosing full-time service. They have experienced that devotion to Jehovah, along with contentment, adds much to their life. This shows that keeping our eyes fixed on the future does not mean giving up all present satisfaction. Their faith has helped them make decisions that already benefit them. We too can think about which goals would best reflect our confidence in the life Jehovah promises.

18. How does having strong faith in Jehovah’s promises benefit us now?

Answer 1: It benefits us in two main ways: It helps us endure difficulties and make wise decisions. The hope of the new world is not something that will have value only in the future. It already influences how we face an illness, how we use our time, and what we put first in our life. The more real Jehovah’s promises are to us, the more they can guide and sustain us in the circumstances we face now.

Answer 2: Strong faith helps us avoid becoming absorbed by present problems. We know that they are temporary and that Jehovah has promised a future without such difficulties. That assurance does not automatically eliminate pain, but it does give us a reason to persevere. As we eagerly await the fulfillment of his promises, we can continue strengthening our trust in them. In this way, hope becomes a help for living each day, not merely a pleasant thought about tomorrow.

Answer 3: It also benefits us because it gives us a clear criterion for deciding how to live. We can consider whether our choices regarding entertainment, leisure time, material things, and the future agree with what we expect from Jehovah. This perspective helps us put what is most important first. We do not want merely to wish for the new world to come; we want our confidence in it to be evident in the way we use our life now.

How did some faithful men and women of the past show that they kept their eyes fixed on Jehovah’s promises?

Hebrews 11:39-40 — And yet all of these, although they received a favorable witness because of their faith, did not obtain the fulfillment of the promise, because God had foreseen something better for us, so that they might not be made perfect apart from us.

Answer 1: They demonstrated their faith by remaining faithful even though they did not see all the promises fulfilled during their lifetime. Their decisions showed that they trusted Jehovah and supported his purpose. The fact that they had to keep waiting did not make their faithfulness useless. Their example encourages us to obey now, confident that Jehovah will fulfill what he has promised.

Answer 2: Moses demonstrated this by choosing to be with God’s people instead of retaining the advantages he had in Egypt. At 40 years of age, he made a decision that involved suffering, but he did so because he valued the future reward. For him, Jehovah’s promise weighed more than the riches and glory he could have had. His example summarizes the study’s main idea very well: Faith in something we do not yet see can change our present decisions.

Answer 3: Men and women such as those mentioned in Hebrews demonstrated their faith by their actions. Rahab, for example, peacefully received the spies. Not all of them lived in the same circumstances or had to make the same decision, but their trust in Jehovah was shown by what they did. As we review their examples, we can ask ourselves what decisions we can make that will demonstrate that same trust. In this way, we will benefit from these accounts, not merely to admire their faith, but also to strengthen our own.

Answer 4: Those servants of God treated his promises as something real, even though their complete fulfillment would come after their resurrection. They did not make obedience conditional on receiving all the benefits immediately. Their lives were guided by trust in Jehovah. This teaches us not to judge the value of serving him only by how easy or difficult the present may be. We can endure and make good decisions because we know that the future he promises is certain.

How does strong faith in Jehovah’s promises help us endure difficulties?

2 Peter 3:13 — But there are new heavens and a new earth that we are awaiting according to his promise, and in these righteousness is to dwell.

Answer 1: It helps us remember that Jehovah has promised a new world in which righteousness will prevail. Therefore, present difficulties do not represent all that awaits us. This perspective gives us strength to persevere without losing hope. Even if a trial continues, we can look beyond it and remember that our future is tied to a promise from God, not to the limitations of the present world.

Answer 2: When faced with a serious illness, faith reminds us that Jehovah promises a future without sickness. At first we may feel very discouraged, but that hope can gradually help us regain a positive attitude. We are not expected to stop feeling pain immediately. What sustains us is the conviction that the situation will not be permanent. The more real that promise is to us, the more it can help us move forward.

Answer 3: Faith helps us endure by keeping alive in our mind the blessings Jehovah promises. We can think about perfect health, true peace, and the joy of welcoming resurrected loved ones. This allows us to look beyond what hurts us now. The images in our publications and the videos can help us meditate on those promises. Thus, our hope occupies a real place in our life, even during a difficult period.

Answer 4: Strong faith sustains us because it rests on a firmer foundation than our momentary feelings. That is why we need to meditate on accounts, prophecies, and Bible texts that convince us that Jehovah will fulfill his purpose. During a trial, we may find it difficult to feel encouraged, but we can remember the reasons we have for trusting him. Spending time strengthening that conviction prepares us to face difficulties without depending solely on circumstances improving.

What good decisions will we make if we have strong faith in God’s promises?

Matthew 6:33 — “Keep on, then, seeking first the Kingdom and his righteousness, and all these other things will be added to you.

Answer 1: We will put Kingdom interests first. This includes caring for our material needs without making possessions the most important thing. If we truly believe in the new world, we will not devote our entire life to obtaining what this system offers. Our faith will help us use material things in a balanced way and set aside time and energy to do Jehovah’s will.

Answer 2: We will choose entertainment that agrees with Jehovah’s standards. We do not want to be entertained by violence, sexual immorality, or spiritism, because we know that such things will not exist in the new world. Our hope helps us to be consistent: if we desire to live in a clean, peaceful, and righteous world, we want our tastes to reflect that desire even now. Thus, our decisions about what we watch and listen to will show that we keep our eyes focused on God’s promises.

Answer 3: We will use some of our free time for activities that draw us closer to Jehovah and to our brothers. The examples in the article include visiting Kingdom Halls and branch offices, learning about creation, and sharing these activities with other families. Each Christian has to decide how to use his or her time; the point is not to impose the same choice on everyone. What matters is thinking about activities that, besides being enjoyable, help us strengthen our faith.

Answer 4: When making plans for the future, we will keep in mind that the life Jehovah promises is near. Many young people have chosen full-time service and are happy with that decision. Other matters, such as getting married or having children, are still personal decisions. The key is to examine whether our goals reflect trust in God. Strong faith helps us not to decide solely on the basis of immediate advantages, but also on the basis of what will have the greatest value for our relationship with Jehovah.