To keep our hearts pure, we must be clean on the inside and nurture chaste affections and desires. We need to keep our thoughts clean so as to be spiritually untainted in our devotion to Jehovah. (2 Cor. 4:2; 1 Tim. 1:5) How, though, do the pure in heart “see God” when, in fact, “no man can see [God] and live”? (Ex. 33:20) The Greek word rendered “see” can carry the sense of “to see with the mind, to perceive, know.” Those who see God with ‘the eyes of the heart’ are those who have really come to know him, appreciating his qualities. (Eph. 1:18) In addition to getting to know God’s qualities, true worshippers can “see God” by observing the way he acts in their behalf. (Job 42:5) They also focus ‘their eyes of the heart’ on the wonderful blessings that God holds out for those who strive to remain pure and to serve him loyally. w18.09 20 ¶13, 15-16

What device has had the worst possible effect on humankind? The lie! That is, saying something that one knows is not true in order to deceive someone else. And who devised the first lie? Jesus Christ identified “the Devil” as “the father of the lie.” (John 8:44) When did he utter the first lie? It happened thousands of years ago in the garden of Eden. The first human couple, Adam and Eve, were enjoying life in the Paradise that their Creator had provided for them. Then, the Devil entered the scene. He knew that God had commanded the couple not to eat from “the tree of the knowledge of good and bad,” lest they die for their disobedience. Even so, through a serpent, Satan told Eve: “You certainly will not die [the first lie ever told]. For God knows that in the very day you eat from it, your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and bad.”​—Gen. 2:15-17; 3:1-5. w18.10 6 ¶1-2

When our life takes an unexpected turn, the changes that we have to face may cause us apprehension and emotional stress. (Prov. 12:25) We may even find it hard to accept those changes. In such circumstances, how can we ‘calm and quiet’ our soul? (Ps. 131:1-3) Despite adverse circumstances, we today can experience firsthand the soothing effect of “the peace of God” that guards our mental powers. (Phil. 4:6, 7) Thus, if we turn to Jehovah when we feel overwhelmed by anxiety, God’s peace can strengthen our determination to reach spiritual goals and guard us against any tendency to give up. In addition to calming us down, God’s spirit can draw our attention to key scriptures that will help us to keep our spiritual priorities.​—John 14:26, 27. w18.10 27 ¶2; 28 ¶5, 8

To walk in the truth, we must accept and obey all of Jehovah’s sayings. We must give the truth priority in our lives and live according to Bible principles. Like David, we must be firmly resolved to keep walking in God’s truth. If we are not, we could have second thoughts about what we paid for the truth and perhaps be tempted to begin taking back part of the payment. Rather, we carefully hold on to the complete truth. We recognize that we cannot pick which truths to accept and which to ignore. After all, we must walk in “all the truth.” (John 16:13) To avoid drifting away from the truth, we must make wise use of our time. If we are not careful, we might start to spend excessive amounts of time on recreation, hobbies, browsing the Internet, or watching television. Although these things are not wrong in themselves, the time we spend on them can begin to encroach on time previously spent in personal study and other spiritual activities. w18.11 10 ¶7-8

True Christians also have this reason to be drawn to God’s love: He “loved the world so much that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that everyone exercising faith in him might not be destroyed but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) What love Jesus also showed in giving his life for us! And what a powerful motivation that love is for us! God’s Word promises that not even “tribulation or distress” can “separate us from the love of the Christ.” (Rom. 8:35, 38, 39) When we grapple with trials that are physically, emotionally, or spiritually draining, the compelling force of Christ’s love can give us the strength to endure. (2 Cor. 5:14) Jesus’ love has the power to sustain us and to motivate us not to give up, even in the face of such trials as disasters, persecution, personal disappointments, or gnawing anxiety. w18.09 14 ¶8-9

Some scholars think that this verse literally means “I will jump for joy in the Lord; I will spin round for delight in God.” What a powerful assurance for all of us! Not only has Jehovah given us wonderful promises but he has assured us that he is swiftly working out his great purpose. No doubt, the vital message of Habakkuk is to trust in Jehovah. (Hab. 2:4) We can acquire and maintain such trust if we strengthen our relationship with Jehovah by (1) persevering in prayer, telling Jehovah all about our anxieties and concerns; (2) paying careful attention to Jehovah’s Word and any direction we receive through his organization; and (3) faithfully and patiently waiting on Jehovah. That is what Habakkuk did. Though he began his book with grief, he ended with a confident and joyful exclamation. May we follow this inspiring example so that we too can feel Jehovah’s fatherly embrace! What greater comfort could we find in this darkening world? w18.11 17 ¶18-19

When studying, we do well to consider what bearing Jehovah’s thoughts may have on situations we might face in the future. That way, should we be in a situation requiring an immediate decision, we will not be caught completely off guard. By immediately rejecting the attempted seductions of Potiphar’s wife, Joseph showed that he had given thought to Jehovah’s view of marital faithfulness. (Gen. 39:8, 9) Furthermore, his reply to Potiphar’s wife: “How could I commit this great badness and actually sin against God?” indicates that he had made God’s view his own. What about us? Suppose a coworker began manifesting flirtatious behavior. Or what if a sexually explicit message or image was sent to your mobile phone? It is far easier to take a stand if we have already sought out and adopted Jehovah’s view on such matters and have determined in advance what we will do. w18.11 25 ¶13-14

If a Christian’s mate committed immorality, the innocent Christian would face a decision. Jesus said that the innocent one would have a basis for getting a divorce and then be free to remarry. (Matt. 19:9) On the other hand, the innocent mate could extend forgiveness. That would not be wrong. Hosea took back Gomer. Once Gomer was back with Hosea, she was not to have relations with any other man. Hosea did “not have relations” with Gomer for a while. (Hos. 3:1-3, ftn.) In time, though, Hosea must have resumed marital relations with her, thereby reflecting God’s willingness to accept his people back and resume his dealings with them. (Hos. 1:11; 3:4, 5) What bearing does that have on a marriage today? If an innocent mate decided to maintain the marriage, resuming marital relations would show forgiveness. (1 Cor. 7:3, 5) That course would cancel what had been grounds for divorce. Thereafter as a couple, they should work to reflect God’s view of marriage. w18.12 13 ¶13

In Bible times, false worship often included gross sexual immorality. (Hos. 4:13, 14) To be sure, that form of worship appealed to the sinful flesh. But it did not bring lasting happiness. To the contrary! ‘Those who pursued other gods multiplied their sorrows,’ said David. They also brought untold suffering to countless children. (Isa. 57:5) Jehovah detested such cruelty! (Jer. 7:31) Today, too, false worship often condones sexual immorality, even homosexuality. But the end results of reveling in so-called moral freedom have not really changed since Bible times. (1 Cor. 6:18, 19) People “multiply their sorrows,” as you may have observed. So young ones, listen to your heavenly Father. Be fully convinced that obedience to him is in your best interests. Impress on your heart that the harm caused by wrongdoing far outweighs any temporary pleasure.​—Gal. 6:8. w18.12 27-28 ¶16-18

Jehovah has given all of us the privilege to praise him. Our comments at meetings are part of our “sacrifice of praise,” and no one can offer that sacrifice for us. (Heb. 13:15) Does Jehovah demand the same type of sacrifice, or comment, from each of us? No, he does not! View the congregation meetings like a meal shared with good friends. Imagine that some friends in the congregation planned a barbecue and asked you to prepare some small item of food. How would you respond? You might feel a little anxious, but you would likely do your best to bring something that everyone could enjoy. Jehovah, our Host, has provided a table full of good things for us at our meetings. (Ps. 23:5; Matt. 24:45) And he is pleased when we bring a simple gift, the best that we can give. So prepare well and participate as freely as you can. Then you will not only feed at Jehovah’s table but also bring a gift to share with the congregation. w19.01 8 ¶3; 13 ¶20