In the first century, some who initially responded favorably to the teachings of Jesus failed to continue walking in the truth. For example, after a large crowd had been fed in a miraculous way by Jesus, the crowd followed him to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. There, Jesus said something that startled them: “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in yourselves.” Instead of asking Jesus to explain, they were stumbled by his words and said: “This speech is shocking; who can listen to it?” As a result, “many of his disciples went off to the things behind and would no longer walk with him.” (John 6:53-66) Sadly, some today have failed to hold on to the truth. Some were stumbled by what a prominent brother said or did. Others were offended by Scriptural counsel they received, or they let go of the truth because of a personality clash with a fellow Christian. w18.11 9 ¶3-5

The apostle Paul saw Jehovah’s assurance as so significant that he quoted this verse three times! (Rom. 1:17; Gal. 3:11; Heb. 10:38) Whatever difficulties the righteous one may suffer, he will by his faith and trust live to see the fulfillment of God’s purposes. Jehovah tells us to look beyond the present. The book of Habakkuk provides a powerful lesson for all of us living in these last days. Jehovah extends his promise of life to any righteous person who displays faith and trust in Him. Let us continue to strengthen our faith and trust in God, no matter what distress and anxiety we face. Through Habakkuk, Jehovah assures us that He will support and deliver us. He kindly asks us to trust in him and to wait patiently for his appointed time when, under God’s Kingdom, the whole earth will be filled with his happy and mild-tempered worshippers.​—Matt. 5:5; Heb. 10:36-39. w18.11 16-17 ¶15-17

Jehovah hates unrighteousness. (Isa. 61:8) While he knows that we have some wrong inclinations because of inherited imperfection, he exhorts us to cultivate similar hatred for unrighteousness. Meditating on why Jehovah detests badness will help us make his view our own, giving us added strength to resist wrongdoing. Cultivating Jehovah’s view of unrighteousness will also help us identify certain practices as wrong, even though they are not specifically mentioned in God’s Word. For example, lap dancing is a form of lewd conduct that is becoming more common in the world. Some might excuse such conduct, reasoning that it is not the same as outright sexual relations. But do such actions reflect the thinking of God, who abhors every kind of badness? Let us stay far from wrongdoing by cultivating self-control as well as an abhorrence for what Jehovah hates.​—Rom. 12:9. w18.11 25 ¶11-12

The expression “sexual immorality” covers a range of sexual sins outside of marriage: adultery, prostitution, sex relations between unmarried individuals, homosexuality, and bestiality. If, for example, a married man engages in sexual immorality, his wife can decide whether to divorce him or not. Significantly, Jesus did not say that a mate’s immorality (por·neiʹa) must absolutely lead to divorce. For example, a wife might choose to maintain the marriage despite her husband’s having been immoral. She might still love him; she might be willing to forgive him and work with him to improve their marriage. Realistically, if she got a divorce but did not remarry, she would face challenges. What of her material and sexual needs? What about loneliness? Are there children to consider? (1 Cor. 7:14) Clearly, the divorced innocent one would face serious issues. w18.12 12 ¶10-11

The psalmist David did not limit his circle of friends to just his peers. Can you recall the name of a “majestic” one who became his dear friend? His name was Jonathan. In fact, their friendship was one of the most beautiful recorded in the Scriptures. Did you know, however, that Jonathan was about 30 years older than David? What, then, was the basis for their friendship? Faith in God, mutual respect, and seeing each other’s courage as they fought God’s enemies. (1 Sam. 13:3; 14:13; 17:48-50; 18:1) Like David and Jonathan, we too find “great delight” in loving those who love Jehovah and who show their faith in him. Kiera, who has served God for years, says, “I’ve made friends with people from around the world, people of many different backgrounds and cultures.” When you broaden out in this way, you will see clear evidence of the uniting power of God’s Word and spirit. w18.12 26 ¶11-13