TALK
Theme: Happy to Have Jehovah in Our Life
When a person is truly in trouble, you can quickly see whom they trust. As long as things are going reasonably well, many people feel they have their lives under control. But when a crisis hits—when fear, anguish, or uncertainty sets in—it becomes clear where their security actually lay. That is exactly what the words of Isaiah 57 make plain. There Jehovah contrasts two ways of life: that of those who put their trust in empty things, and that of those who have him in their life. That is why today’s theme is so fitting: “Happy to Have Jehovah in Our Life.”
We will develop three ideas. First, that idols cannot hear those who cry out to them for help. Second, that those who do not have Jehovah in their life live in turmoil and lack unity. And third, that there is no peace for the wicked. As we review them, we will see why it is a happiness to have a good relationship with Jehovah.
Comencemos con la primera idea. Leamos Isaiah 57:13. Jehovah dice: “Cuando grites por ayuda, tu colección de ídolos no te salvará. Un viento se los llevará a todos, un simple soplo se los llevará, pero el que se refugia en mí heredará esta tierra y tomará posesión de mi santa montaña.” Qué contraste tan claro. Por un lado, están los ídolos, que no salvan a nadie. Por otro lado, está Jehovah, que protege y bendice a quien se refugia en él.
In the time of Judah, the people had accumulated a true “collection of idols.” That revealed something very sad: even though they kept using Jehovah’s name, their heart was divided. They were seeking security from other gods, other alliances, other sources of support. But Jehovah made clear that all that false confidence would amount to nothing. And so it happened. In 607 B.C.E., when calamity struck, those idols saved no one. A mere breath, so to speak, blew them away. Jerusalem was destroyed, the temple was burned, and most of its inhabitants were taken captive.
The lesson is a serious one. Whatever replaces Jehovah never truly sustains. While there is no problem, it may seem strong, useful, or attractive. But when the test comes, what is genuinely valuable is revealed. Something similar happens today. Perhaps not many people worship literal images, but modern idols certainly exist. For some, money is their security. For others, it is politics, prestige, pleasure, technology, or even their own opinion. And while everything seems stable, they believe those things will hold them up. But when life shakes them, none of those things can offer real protection.
That is why what is said about Christendom and the rest of Babylon the Great is also so important. Their great collection of idols will not save them either on the day of Jehovah’s anger. They will be devastated along with the entire worldwide conglomerate of false religions. How glad we are to have obeyed the command of Revelation 18:4: “Get out of her, my people.” And how important it is to remain firm in that decision. Let us never go back to her or her ways.
En cambio, fíjese en la parte final de Isaiah 57:13: “pero el que se refugia en mí heredará esta tierra y tomará posesión de mi santa montaña.” Jehovah no solo denuncia lo falso; también muestra el camino seguro. Refugiarse en él sí trae resultados. Tener a Jehovah en nuestra vida no significa que no haya pruebas, pero sí significa que tenemos a quién acudir, en quién apoyarnos y de quién recibir verdadera ayuda.
Eso nos lleva al segundo punto: quienes no tienen a Jehovah en su vida viven agitados y no están unidos. Leamos Isaiah 57:20: “Pero los malvados son como el mar agitado que no puede calmarse, cuyas aguas siguen arrojando algas y fango.” Qué imagen tan gráfica. Jehovah compara a los malvados con un mar revuelto, agitado, inestable. Nunca está quieto. Nunca transmite calma. Siempre está arrojando suciedad.
That comparison describes very well human society apart from Jehovah. The world boasts of progress, freedom, and advances, but in reality it is deeply agitated. Just look at how people are divided over political, social, racial, economic, or ideological issues. There are constant clashes, senseless violence, hatred, tension, and distrust. People live on edge, offended, and irritated—often without inner peace and without genuine unity.
It could not be otherwise. If Jehovah is not in the life of a person or a society, the only solid foundation for peace and unity is missing. Without him, everything becomes unstable. Today an idea generates excitement, tomorrow it disappoints. Today a leader seems to be the solution, tomorrow he lets everyone down. Today a movement sweeps thousands along, tomorrow it disappears. It is like the sea: lots of movement, lots of noise, but nothing firm.
How different Jehovah’s people are! While the world divides, Jehovah produces peace and unity among his servants. And that difference is no accident. Zephaniah 3:17 shows that Jehovah rejoices over his people. Surely it brings him joy to see the contrast between an agitated world and a united congregation. Not because we are perfect, but because we have Jehovah in our life, and that changes the way we think, react, and treat others.
Let us think about this honestly. Anywhere on earth, brothers of different ages, cultures, languages, and backgrounds can come together in peace, worshipping the same God. No human ideology produces that. Jehovah does. That is why we are happy to have him in our life. Because he gives us a stability the world cannot offer. He helps us not to be swept along by the atmosphere, by the controversies of the moment, or by uncontrolled emotions. He teaches us to maintain calm, peace, and unity.
Y eso enlaza directamente con el tercer punto: no hay paz para los malvados. Leamos Isaiah 57:21: “No hay paz para los malvados”, dice mi Dios. Qué declaración tan clara. Jehovah no deja lugar a dudas. El malvado puede aparentar seguridad, diversión, éxito o poder. Puede tener dinero, influencias o reconocimiento. Pero paz verdadera, no la tiene.
Why is that? Because genuine peace can only come from Jehovah. He is the God of peace and the Source of peace. Moreover, peace is a fruit of his spirit. So only those who are at peace with God can have true peace. Serious transgressions hinder the relationship with Jehovah and disturb inwardly those who practice them. As the psalmist said, sin robs a person of peace. So there can be no peace where there is no justice, righteousness, or good relationship with Jehovah.
Eso explica por qué el mundo busca tanto la paz y encuentra tan poca. La busca en vacaciones, en dinero, en distracciones, en tratamientos, en relaciones o en cambios externos. Pero sin Jehovah, esa paz no llega a ser profunda ni duradera. En cambio, los que están plenamente dedicados a Jehovah, aman su ley y escuchan sus mandamientos sí pueden disfrutar de paz verdadera. Isaiah 48:18 lo expresa de una manera preciosa al decir que la paz del obediente puede llegar a ser como un río.
That is why the question to reflect on at the end of the talk is so valuable: “How has my life improved since I have had a good relationship with Jehovah?” It is a personal question, but a powerful one. Perhaps before there was more restlessness, more emptiness, more fear of the future, more confusion. And now there is more clarity, more purpose, more inner peace. Perhaps before, one was more easily swept along by the environment, by pressure, or by the need to please others. And now there is more balance, more unity with Jehovah’s people, and more trust in him.
Perhaps some remember that before, they sought security in other things—perhaps in material possessions, wrong friendships, purely personal goals, or worldly ideas. But none of those things gave genuine peace. In contrast, upon coming to know Jehovah, drawing close to him, and living in harmony with his ways, life changed for the better. Not because all problems disappeared, but because now there is a relationship with the only one who can truly sustain us.
So, reviewing these three points, the conclusion is clear. Idols cannot save those who cry out to them for help. Those who do not have Jehovah in their life live in turmoil and without genuine unity. And there is no peace for the wicked. But the one who takes refuge in Jehovah does have a future, does have stability, and can enjoy genuine peace.
That is why we are so happy to have Jehovah in our life. He is not like idols, which neither hear nor respond. He listens. He guides. He protects. He gives peace. And he unites his people. So let us do everything possible to remain very close to Jehovah. Let us never put our trust in substitutes. Let us never envy the apparent security of this world. And let us never forget that true happiness does not lie in having more things, more recognition, or more freedom to do whatever one wants. True happiness lies in having Jehovah in our life.
So let us keep taking refuge in him. Let us keep separating ourselves completely from Babylon the Great and her ways. Let us keep appreciating the peace and unity that Jehovah gives his people. And let us keep meditating on this question: “How has my life improved since I have had a good relationship with Jehovah?” The more we think about it, the more convinced we will be of something very beautiful: we are truly happy to have Jehovah in our life.
