King David knew Jehovah and relied on Him. When pursued by his enemies, including King Saul, David prayed to Jehovah for help. After God answered his prayer and rescued him, David declared: “Jehovah is alive!” (Ps. 18:46) With these words, David was not merely acknowledging that God exists. One reference work notes that David was expressing confidence in Jehovah “as a living god who constantly acts on behalf of his people.” Yes, David knew from personal experience that his God was alive, and that conviction renewed his determination to serve and praise Jehovah. (Ps. 18:28, 29, 49) Our being convinced that Jehovah is the living God can help us to serve him with zeal. We will have the strength to endure trials and the motivation to continue working hard in his service. We will also be determined to remain close to Jehovah. w24.06 20-21 ¶3-4

What can we learn from the apostle Paul’s words to the Thessalonians? When we hear something that does not harmonize with what we have learned from the Bible or when we hear a sensational rumor, we need to use discernment. In the former Soviet Union, our enemies once circulated a letter that was allegedly from world headquarters. The letter encouraged some of the brothers to form a separate, independent organization. The letter itself appeared to be genuine. But faithful brothers were not fooled. They realized that the message the letter contained did not line up with what they had been taught. Today, enemies of the truth sometimes use modern technology in an effort to confuse and divide us. Rather than be “quickly shaken from [our] reason,” we can protect ourselves by considering whether what we hear or read is in harmony with the truths we have already learned.​—2 Thess. 2:2; 1 John 4:1. w24.07 12 ¶14-15

The most important decision that any person can make is the decision to dedicate himself to Jehovah and to become part of His family of worshippers. Jehovah desires everyone to do so. Why? He wants them to enjoy a friendship with him and to live forever. (Deut. 30:19, 20; Gal. 6:7, 8) However, Jehovah does not force anyone to serve him. He allows each individual to decide what he will do. What if a baptized Christian breaks God’s law, committing a serious sin? If he does not repent, he must be removed from the congregation. (1 Cor. 5:13) Yet, even then, Jehovah fervently hopes that the wrongdoer will return to Him. In fact, that is an important reason why he provided the ransom​—to make forgiveness possible for repentant sinners. Our loving God warmly appeals to wrongdoers, urging them to repent.​—Zech. 1:3; Rom. 2:4; Jas. 4:8. w24.08 14 ¶1-2