Hannah did exactly as she had vowed to God. She did not even think of doing otherwise. She took Samuel to High Priest Eli at the tabernacle in Shiloh and said: “It was for this boy that I prayed, and Jehovah granted my petition that I asked of him. I, in turn, now lend him to Jehovah. For all his days, he is lent to Jehovah.” (1 Sam. 1:24-28) There, “the boy Samuel continued growing up before Jehovah.” (1 Sam. 2:21) But what did that mean for Hannah? She dearly loved her little boy, but now she would not be able to have everyday contact with him during his boyhood. Think of how she longed to cuddle him, to play with him, to nurture him​—to share in all the endearing memories that a loving mother cherishes as she watches her little one grow up. Even so, Hannah had no regrets about keeping her vow to God. Her heart rejoiced in Jehovah.​—1 Sam. 2:1, 2; Ps. 61:1, 5, 8. w17.04 5 ¶7-8

Although Joseph did not forget the wrongs he suffered throughout his 13-year ordeal, he did not become embittered by them. (Gen. 45:5-8) Most important, he did not allow the imperfections and wrong actions of others to separate him from Jehovah. Joseph’s loyalty gave him the opportunity to see Jehovah’s hand in correcting the injustices and in blessing him and his family. In a similar way, we must cherish and guard our relationship with Jehovah. Never should we allow the imperfections of our brothers to separate us from the God we love and worship. (Rom. 8:38, 39) Instead, if we experience injustice at the hands of a fellow worshipper, let us be like Joseph and draw even closer to Jehovah, striving to have his view of matters. When we have done all that we Scripturally can to remedy the situation, we need to leave the matter in Jehovah’s hands, confident that he will correct it in his own time and way. w17.04 20 ¶12; 22 ¶15-16

Soon the earth will be filled with those who prefer Jehovah’s sovereignty over any other. How we long for that day! With Deborah and Barak, we sing: “Let all your enemies perish, O Jehovah, but let those who love you be like the sun rising in its glory.” (Judg. 5:31) This petition will be answered when Jehovah brings an end to Satan’s wicked world! When the battle of Armageddon begins, there will be no need for human volunteers to rout the enemy. That will be the time for us to “stand still, and see the salvation of Jehovah.” (2 Chron. 20:17) But in the meantime, there are many opportunities for us to support Jehovah’s cause with courage and zeal. “Because of the people’s volunteering, praise Jehovah!” Thus, Deborah and Barak began their victory song with praise, not to creatures, but to the Most High. (Judg. 5:1, 2) Likewise today, may your volunteer spirit move all those who benefit from it to “praise Jehovah!” w17.04 32 ¶17-18

If children do not identify with their parents’ culture, they may resist learning their parents’ language​—and their faith. Christian parents put their children’s spiritual well-being ahead of personal preferences. (1 Cor. 10:24) A brother named Samuel relates: “My wife and I observed our children to see in which language they thrived spiritually, and we prayed for wisdom. . . . When we saw that they were getting little benefit from the meetings in our language, we decided to move to the local-language congregation. Together, we regularly attended meetings and shared in the ministry. We also invited local friends to join us for meals and excursions. All of this helped our children to get to know the brothers and to get to know Jehovah, not only as their God but also as their Father and Friend. We considered this to be much more important than their mastering our language.” w17.05 10 ¶11-13