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Do You Appreciate God-Given Gifts?
“How many things you have done, O Jehovah my God, your wonderful works and your thoughts toward us.”—PS. 40:5.
SONG 5 God’s Wondrous Works
PREVIEW*
1-2. According to Psalm 40:5, what gifts has Jehovah given us, and why will we consider them?
According to this text he has given us so many gifts that we would even have a hard time telling them, but we can mention three wonderful gifts, the land that is the place that has given us to live, the brain with which we have the ability to think and communicate and also the Bible.
The Psalm says that there are many works of the Lord and he has done them for our favor, which shows us that jehovah is very generous to us, this paragraph mentions three gifts he has given us, the earth a place to live, the brain with the ability to think and communicate, and the Bible that gives us the answers to the most important questions of life.
For as we ponder these three more gifts we will value them and more we would like to please our loving Father Jehovah, so that we can be more prepared to be able to help people who have been deceived with the false doctrine of evolution.
How we want to please our Creator who loves us, we want to fulfill the commission he has given us to help others know him, and in this study we will specifically discuss these 3 gifts which will help us be prepared to help people who believe in the doctrine of evolution.
Based on the crushing trials of creation, these evidences show that these gifts are a sign of the great love of our creator Jehovah, which encourages us to proclaim the four winds that the Lord created all things and therefore deserves our respect and admiration.
OUR UNIQUE PLANET
3. Why is the earth unique?
3 There are two reasons why planet earth is special, the first is that if we set out to observe how the Lord has created the earth, we will be able to perceive what is mentioned in Romans chapter 1 verse 20, its qualities its power and its divinity, this is certainly a great privilege, the second reason is because it is the only planet that has the necessary conditions for human beings to live.
In Romans 1:20 we see a fundamental truth, the invisible qualities of the Lord are clearly seen in creation, for example love, the Lord created the earth with the perfect conditions for us to live there, it is the only planet with these characteristics that makes this gift special, in the course of the magazine we will analyze how his wisdom is manifested in the design and sustainability of this beautiful planet.
4. Why can we say that the earth is better than any man-made boat?
4 For example if we compare the earth with a ship, we can observe a little more in detail the wisdom of God, because while a ship is not able to produce its own oxygen, food and water, planet earth can provide us with these resources that are essential for life, in addition Jehovah designed the land with recycling systems that renew its resources as are the oxygen cycle and the water cycle.
The world\’s longest cruiser on a 245-day journey with a maximum of just over 8000 passengers and crew members, of course does not supply their own resources, we can imagine the magnitude of Jehovah who created a planet that has been self-sustaining for thousands of years, to build this ship requires well-prepared engineers to design a ship that can only recycle and acquire its resources, there is no doubt of the immense wisdom of our God Jehovah who designed a planet perfectly for human life that produces and recycles all the supplies necessary for our survival.
5. What is the oxygen cycle, and what does it confirm?
5 Oxygen: This cycle is the circulation of oxygen inside and on the surface of the earth, which in short becomes the absorption of oxygen and release of carbon dioxide or vice versa.
It is estimated that every year we occupy one hundred billion tons of oxygen, despite this the oxygen does not end since Jehovah created the cycle of oxygen with which carbon dioxide is transformed into oxygen, we notice the great wisdom of the Jehovah because thanks to this cycle we never worry about how much oxygen the Lord gave us hands full to breathe as much oxygen as we want.
6. What is the water cycle, and what does it prove? (See also the box “Jehovah’s Gift of the Water Cycle.”)
6 Water: It consists of the evaporation of water from the oceans and the Earth\’s surface, this evaporation ends in the formation of clouds. These clouds contain water that will later fall in the form of rain or snow.
It all starts with the perfect distance, the earth is close enough to the sun to heat the earth and evaporate the surface of the water, it transforms into clouds and about 10 days later, by rain, the water returns to seas, rivers, lakes or any accumulation of water…
This highly effective and sustainable cycle certainly shows that Jehovah is wise and powerful, since this cycle is something truly amazing.
This also demonstrates its great power since for the water cycle to exist Jehovah had to manipulate visible and invisible objects such as the sun, the planet Earth and other planets, as well as objects that we do not see such as oxygen or gravity. There is no doubt that meditating on the water cycle helps us increase our trust in Jehovah.
The water cycle is a gift from Jehovah
FRUITS, VEGETABLES AND FLOWERS
Thanks to the rain, the plants grow and give us food. And most of them produce flowers, which we like so much.
BEAUTY
Rivers, lakes and waterfalls beautify the planet and make life more enjoyable.
OTHER BENEFITS
For example, evaporation of sea water produces salt.
IN DAY TO DAY
We drink water and use it to prepare other drinks, such as lemonade, coffee or tea. And we also use water for cooking, cleaning and showering.
Jehovah’s Gift of the Water Cycle
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FRUITS, VEGETABLES, AND FLOWERS
Rain makes plants grow, giving us food to eat. Most plants also produce flowers for our enjoyment
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BEAUTY AND ENJOYMENT
Rivers, lakes, and waterfalls beautify the earth and bring us enjoyment
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OTHER BENEFITS
The water cycle has other benefits. For instance, the evaporation of seawater produces salt
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DAILY USE
We drink water and use it to make other drinks, such as lemonade, coffee, and tea. We also use water for cooking, cleaning, and bathing
7. What are some ways that we can show appreciation for the gift described at Psalm 115:16?
7 We do this by meditating on what Jehovah has created, obviously it is also necessary to tell Jehovah how grateful we are for the good he gives us, also another way to show appreciation is to keep the piece of land in which we live as clean as possible
Jehovah went out of his way to give us a home, as we have analyzed it is not just any home because our planet not only meets our needs, he also made an effort to make us enjoy it, we have a great variety of food seen etc. The best thing is that we don\’t even worry about this since it is self-sustaining, the least we could do is take care of it and keep our piece of Earth clean.
OUR UNIQUE BRAIN
8. Why can we say that our brain is a marvel of engineering?
8 Because despite its small size, an adult brain has approximately 100 billion neurons, and each nerve cell spreads thousands of connective fibers to establish contact with other nerve cells in the brain.
To get an idea of how many neurons we have in our brain we can take the world population as a reference, it is calculated that approximately we are 7,760,000,000 (seven thousand seven hundred and sixty million) humans on the planet, if an adult brain can house 100 billion neurons, Our brain houses more than 12 times the world population of people on earth. And all that only in an organ that only weighs 1.5 kg. Such a work could not have been entrusted to any beginner, much less to chance, it is undoubtedly the work of the greatest engineer in the universe.
9. What proves to you that our ability to speak is a gift from God?
9 Our ability to speak: What convinces that this gift comes from God are the recorded words Exodus chapter 4 verse 11, because only he has the ability for someone to speak or stop doing it, since the fact that in order to pronounce a single word, the brain has To coordinate the movements of the muscles of the tongue, the throat, the lips, the jaw and the chest, is that without good coordination, our words would not be easy to understand.
Seeing all the work of our body when speaking we can not think that everything happens by chance, it is as if an orchestra could be coordinated just by reading the notes, of course not, they require a conductor, in the same way someone was aware that our brain could move chest, jaw, tongue etc. in a coordinated way and Exodus 4:11 shows us that it was Jehovah.
10. How can we show that we appreciate the God-given gift of speech?
10 We do it by applying what is mentioned in Psalm chapter 9 verse 1, because it tells us to praise Jehovah and proclaim his wonderful works, we show appreciation if we take advantage of this wonderful gift of God to teach other people what his word the bible indicates. , since it is necessary to use it to indicate and explain to others why we are convinced that he is the creator of heaven and earth.
1 Peter 3:15 gives us a spirited invitation, to defend our faith, today many try to hide the glory of Jehovah through theories such as evolution and many others that discard the idea of a creator, that\’s why in harmony with this verse of the Bible let\’s defend our faith by preaching.
11. What is one reason why our brain is amazing?
11 Our capacity to remember: Another reason is for our memory, and it is even believed that it can store even more of the information that would fit in 20 million books.
We can imagine the times we use memory, such as when we wash our hands, prepare food, etc. And all that information is stored in our brain. Without a doubt, the capacity we have to remember and store information is surprising, the work of the greatest engineer in the entire universe.
12. How does our ability to learn moral lessons separate us from the animals?
12 Thanks to this ability we can learn and express values such as love, compassion, mercy and justice, we can also correct our way of thinking and acting, in fact we have a conscience that we can train to distinguish the good from the bad .
Just as some Corinthian Christians many of us dislike Jehovah before knowing his norms, as we learn more from the Bible we acquire the ability to discern whether our decision is good or not, this is how we train our conscience thanks to the moral lessons that we extract from the Bible.
13. In line with Psalm 77:11, 12, how should we use our gift of memory?
13 We can use it by remembering the times that Jehovah has helped and comforted us, if we do this our confidence that he will help us in the future will be present, another way to use this gift is to always remember the goodness of other people, let\’s imitate the example of Although Jehovah has a perfect memory, he decides to forget our mistakes and forgive us.
It is also good to remember what others have done for our good, of course our imperfection makes us remember negative things more, but if we want to use our memory in the right way, that is why we will imitate our beloved God Jehovah who forgets our sins when we repent.
We show appreciation for the gift of our brain by using it to honor Jehovah (See paragraph 14)*
14. How can we show appreciation for the marvelous gift of our brain?
14 We do this by honoring Jehovah, recognizing that the standards and advice that he gives us will certainly benefit us, because if, as mentioned in Isaiah chapter 48 verse 18, we will enjoy true peace.
We can follow your advice. In Isaiah 48: 17,18 he shows us that they are for our own benefit, but they also serve to honor him, when we meditate on all that he has given us with our brain, all that we can achieve, there is no doubt that it is thanks to his loving kindness, so let\’s not be selfish and try to use our brains for our own benefit, let\’s think about showing Jehovah our gratitude by using it to be loyal and obedient to Him.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: There is no doubt that the human brain is extraordinary. But we must be careful with the great power it exercises over us. For example, consider the therapeutic effect of placebo. From the 18th century to date, some doctors have resorted to prescribing pills without curative action when they do not have any suitable medicine. Their intention is not always to deceive the patient, but to try to encourage in him a natural healing process driven by the mind. In some cases it is known that some people get cured of their diseases thanks to the convincing power that the placebo generates in their brain. If the brain is capable of this we must be careful not to fill our brain with things that can weaken us spiritually because if our brain is spiritually weak our entire body will also be weak.
ILLUSTRATION
In the picture we can see a sister learning the Hindi language, with the help of some cards and a book, and then the sister preaches to an Indian woman in the market using the Good News brochure, in this way our sister shows her appreciation for the wonderful gift that is our brain, for it is using it to honor Jehovah.
THE BIBLE—A UNIQUE GIFT
15. How does the gift of the Bible reflect Jehovah’s love for mankind?
15 It reflects this love by finding wise advice and answers to important questions such as Where do we come from? What is the meaning of life? and What will happen in the future ?, because all these we find in her word the bible.
The more than 7,760 million people who live in the world are important to Jehovah, that is why he has blessed the work of translating his word the Bible, currently it is available in more than 3000 languages, either in whole or in parts, although this covers approximately 90% of the human population continues to redouble their efforts so that this wonderful gift of Jehovah can be reached more people.
The Bible is translated into African languages
By 1800, the Bible — complete or in part — was available in some seventy languages, but very few of them were African. At that time, the Bantu languages did not have a writing system. But everything changed when people like William Boyce, a Methodist missionary from England, went to Africa and lived with people who spoke unwritten languages. Boyce contributed to the creation of a writing system for Xhosa, and with the collaboration of others he translated the Gospel of Luke into that language. This Gospel, which was published in 1833, contains the name of God in the same places where it now appears in the New World Translation. Furthermore, Boyce deciphered the complex grammatical norms not only of the Xhosa language, but also of all the Bantu languages. This opened the way for the Bible to be translated into many African languages. Today, the Bible can be read, in whole or in part, in over a thousand African languages. It is clear that Jehovah wants people of all nations to receive this gift (Acts 10:35).
ILLUSTRATION
Sisters and a brother with the newly published Xhosa Translation of the New World in their hands.
In 2019, the New World Translation was presented in xhosa, one of the more than one hundred and eighty languages in which this translation is available, in whole or in part.
Making the Bible Available in African Languages
By the year 1800, printed copies of the Bible in whole or in part were available in some 70 languages, but very few of those languages were spoken in Africa. At the time, the African Bantu languages did not have a written form. Things changed when individuals, such as William Boyce from England, went to Africa and lived with people who spoke unwritten languages. Boyce helped to develop a written form of Xhosa, and he, along with others, translated the Gospel of Luke into that language. Published in 1833, this Gospel contained God’s name in all the same places that it now appears in the New World Translation. Boyce also discovered the key to the complex grammatical rules that govern not only the Xhosa language but also the complete Bantu-language family. This opened the way for translators to produce the Bible in many other African languages. Today, the Bible or portions of it are available in over 1,000 African languages. Clearly, Jehovah wants people from every nation to have this gift!—Acts 10:35.
In 2019 the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures was released in Xhosa—one of the over 180 languages in which this translation is now available in whole or in part
16. Based on Matthew 28:19, 20, how can we prove that we appreciate the Bible?
16 According to the quoted text we can show appreciation by taking the message of the Bible to as many people as possible and according to the paragraph, another way to show appreciation is to use it and we do it by reading it every day, meditating on what it teaches and strive to put into practice what we learn.
Let\’s imagine that we see a person in need and we give them food that will help them to have better health, we would really feel very bad if they accept it but don\’t eat it, let\’s not make Jehovah feel bad, on the contrary we show gratitude for his wonderful gift that is The Bible, one of the best ways is taking advantage of this spiritual food with daily reading, if we do it we will be like the trees described in Psalms 1: 3, healthy trees that are planted near the waters and bear their fruit at the appropriate time.
17. What kind of gifts have we considered in this article, and what will be discussed in the next article?
17 In this article we have talked about three gifts from God, our home the earth, our amazing brain and his inspired word the bible and in the next article we will discuss some other gifts from Jehovah that have something unique, they are invisible.
HOW CAN WE SHOW THAT WE APPRECIATE…..
The Earth?
We do this by meditating on what Jehovah has obviously created.It is also necessary to tell Jehovah how grateful we are for how good he gives us.Another way to show appreciation is to keep the piece of land in which we live as clean as possible.
It can be in 2 ways:
Defending Jehovah from theories such as evolution and many that discard the idea of a creator and use the same creation to highlight its invisible qualities.
Taking care of our space in which we live as well as keeping it clean, Jehovah created everything beautiful, let us help keep it looking like this
Our Brain?
We do this to honor Jehovah, recognizing that the standards and advice that he gives us will certainly benefit us, because as mentioned in Isaiah 48:18, we will enjoy true peace.
We can show our gratitude by using it the right way, studying moral lessons that will be in our memory when facing some test, also using the skills of speech to declare the glory of Jehovah to all others.
The Bible?
We do it by taking the message of the Bible to as many people as possible, also by using it, and we do it by reading it every day, meditating on what it teaches us and striving to put into practice what we learn.
This gift from Jehovah, unlike the other two, offers us eternal rewards. If we study it deeply, we put into practice what we learn and foster a love for Jehovah based on this study and knowledge, we can enjoy a great friendship with Jehovah and eternal life.
SONG 12 Great God, Jehovah
This article will build our appreciation for Jehovah and for three of the gifts that he has given us. It will also help us to reason with those who doubt that God exists.
PICTURE DESCRIPTION: A sister is learning a foreign language in order to teach immigrants the truths of God’s Word.
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