Sunday, August 1 The One who sent me is with me; he did not abandon me. —John 8:29. Even while being persecuted, Jesus had inner peace because he knew that he was making his Father happy. He remained obedient when it was difficult for him to do so. He loved his Father and built his whole life around serving Jehovah. Before he came to earth, he was God’s “master worker.” (Prov. 8:30) And while on earth, he zealously taught others about his Father. (Matt. 6:9; John 5:17) That work brought Jesus great joy. (John 4:34-36) We can imitate Jesus by obeying Jehovah and “always having plenty to do in the work of the Lord.” (1 Cor. 15:58) When we are “intensely occupied” in the preaching work, we are better able to put our troubles into perspective. (Acts 18:5) For example, those we meet in our ministry often face worse problems than we do. Yet, when they learn to love Jehovah and apply his counsel, their lives improve and they become happier. Each time we see that happen, we feel more confident that Jehovah will care for us. w19.04 10-11 ¶8-9