1, 2. Kuyini esingazibuza khona kwezinye izikhathi, njalo yiziphi izibonelo eziseBhayibhilini ezingafika ezingqondweni zethu?

SEWAKE wazibuza yini ukuthi: ‘Kambe ngizafa ngasila kulokhu kugula?’ Kumbe ukuthi umuntu engimthandayo ogulayo uzasila yini? Kujayelekile ukuthi sikhathazeke nxa kuyikuthi kasiphilanga kuhle emzimbeni. Lokhu kwenzakala lasemakhosini amabili ayephila ngesikhathi sika-Elija lo-Elisha. INkosi u-Ahaziya indodana ka-Ahabi loJezebeli yawa yalimala kabuhlungu, yasibuza yathi: “Kambe ngizasila yini kulokhu kulimala na?” Ngemva kwesikhathi iNkosi yaseSiriya uBheni-Hadadi layo yagula yabangwa lezibi, yasibuza yathi: “Kambe ngizasila yini kulokhu kugula na?”—2 AmaKho. 1:2; 8:7, 8.

² Kodwa sihlala silethemba lokuthi kukhona okuhle okuzakwenzakala kithi lakulabo esibathandayo. Lanxa kunjalo abanengi bayazibuza ukuthi uNkulunkulu uzakwenzani ukuze abancede. Ngesikhathi samakhosi okukhulunywe ngawo, uNkulunkulu wenza izimangaliso ezazigoqela ukusilisa abagulayo lokuvusa abafileyo esebenzisa abaphrofethi bakhe. (1 AmaKho. 17:17-24; 2 AmaKho. 4:17-20, 32-35) Pho sikhona yini isizatho sokukholwa ukuthi angenza okufananayo lamuhla?

3-5. UNkulunkulu loJesu balamandla okwenzani, njalo lokhu kwenza sibe layiphi imibuzo?

 ³ Asithandabuzi ukuthi uNkulunkulu ulawo amandla okwenza loba yini ngempilakahle yomuntu. IBhayibhili lisinika ubufakazi balokhu. Kwezinye izikhathi wayejezisa abantu ababewonile ngokubatshaya ngezifo. Abanye babo nguFaro owayebusa ngesikhathi sika-Abhrama, lodadewabo kaMosi uMiriyamu. (Gen. 12:17; Nani. 12:9, 10; 2 Sam. 24:15) UNkulunkulu waxwayisa lama-Israyeli ukuthi nxa ayengatshengisa ukungathembeki wayezawehlisela ‘izinhlobo zonke zemikhuhlane kanye lezinhlupheko.’ (Dute. 28:58-61) UNkulunkulu uyenelisa ukususa imikhuhlane lokuvimbela ukuthi abantu bangaguli. (Eks. 23:25; Dute. 7:15) Uyenelisa lokwelapha abantu. Ngemva kokuba uJobe egule kabuhlungu waze wafisa lokuthi ngabe uyazifela aphumule, uNkulunkulu wamelapha.—Jobe. 2:7; 3:11-13; 42:10, 16.

⁴ Ngempela uNkulunkulu ulawo amandla okususa imikhuhlane lawokwelapha abantu abagulayo. INdodana yakhe layo ilamandla okwenza lokhu. IMibhalo isitshela ukuthi uJesu wenza izimangaliso welapha abalobulephero, abalezithuthwane, abayiziphofu labayizigoga. (Bala uMathewu 4:23, 24; Joh. 9:1-7) Kuyasiqinisa kakhulu ukwazi ukuthi izimangaliso zokwelapha ezenziwa nguJesu zaziyinzwisa yalokho azakwenza emhlabeni omutsha. Ngalesosikhathi ‘akulamuntu ozakuthi, “Mina ngiyagula.”’—Isaya. 33:24.

⁵ Kodwa lamuhla singakhangelela ukuthi uNkulunkulu loJesu baselaphe ngendlela eyisimangaliso yini? Kumele sikubone njani ukugula okubuhlungu lokugogeka futhi kumele senzeni ngakho?

6. Kuyini esikwaziyo mayelana ‘lezipho zokusilisa’ amanye amaKhristu ayelazo ngekhulu lokuqala?

⁶ IBhayibhili liveza ukuthi ekhulwini lokuqala uNkulunkulu wanika amanye amaKhristu agcotshiweyo amandla okwenza izimangaliso. (ImiSeb. 3:2-7; 9:36-42) Ezinye ‘izinhlobo ezihlukeneyo zezipho’ zomoya ‘kwakuyizipho zokusilisa.’ (1 Khor. 12:4-11) Kodwa izipho lezi kanye lezinye ezazigoqela ukukhuluma ngezindimi lokuphrofetha zazizaphela. (1 Khor. 13:8) Yikho zingasekho lamuhla. Ngakho-ke kasikho isizatho sokukhangelela ukuthi uNkulunkulu angaselapha ngendlela eyisimangaliso lamuhla.

7. Yisiphi isikhuthazo esisithola kuHubo 41:3?

⁷ Njengalokho okwakusenziwa yizinceku zikaNkulunkulu zasendulo lathi nxa sigula singenelisa ukumcela ukuthi asiphe induduzo, asisize ukuthi senze izinqumo ngokuhlakanipha lokuthi asiqinise. INkosi uDavida yabhala yathi: “Ubusisiwe lowo onanza abahluphekayo; uJehova uyamkhulula ngezikhathi zokuhlupheka. UJehova uzamvikela alondoloze impilo yakhe.” (Hubo. 41:1, 2) Siyakwazi ukuthi abantu ababenanza abahluphekayo ngesikhathi sikaDavida abazange baqhubeke bephila kokuphela. Ngakho uDavida wayengatsho ukuthi umuntu owayephatha kuhle abahluphekayo wayezaqhubeka ephila ngendlela eyisimangaliso, ahlale kuze kube nini lanini. Esikunanzelelayo yikuthi amazwi la aphefumulelweyo atsho ukuthi uNkulunkulu uyenelisa ukusiza umuntu onanza abahluphekayo. Njani? UDavida wachaza ukuthi “uJehova uzamqinisa lanxa elele egula njalo amsilise avuke ekuguleni kwakhe.” (Hubo. 41:3) Ngakho-ke umuntu onanza ohluphekayo kumele abe leqiniso lokuthi uNkulunkulu uyakubona lokho akwenzayo kanye lokuthembeka kwakhe. Njalo nxa laye esegula, amandla avela kuNkulunkulu enza ukuthi umzimba uzelaphe azamnceda ukuthi asile ekuguleni kwakhe.

8. Ngokutsho kweHubo 41:4 kuyini uDavida ayekucela kuJehova?

⁸ UDavida ekhuluma ngalokho okwake kwenzakala kuye wathi: “Ngathi, ‘O Jehova ake ungihawukele; ngisilisa, ngoba ngonile kuwe.’” (Hubo. 41:4) Kungenzakala ukuthi wabhala amazwi la ngesikhathi u-Absalomi ezama ukumhluthunela  ubukhosi bakhe ngapha yena egula njalo engenelisi ukwenza loba yini ukuze alungise indaba le. UDavida kazange asikhohlwe isono ayesenze loBhathisheba kanye lempumela yaso lanxa wayekwazi mhlophe ukuthi uNkulunkulu wayesemthethelele. (2 Sam. 12:7-14) Kodwa wayelokhu eqiniseka ngokuthi uNkulunkulu wayezamqinisa ekuguleni kwakhe. UDavida wayecela ukwelatshwa ngendlela eyisimangaliso yini lokuthi iminyaka yakhe yokuphila ingezelelwe?

9. (a) Indaba kaDavida yayitshiyene njani leyeNkosi uHezekhiya? (b) Kuyini uDavida ayekhangelele ukuthi uJehova amenzele khona?

⁹ Sekwedlule iminyaka ethile, uNkulunkulu wakhetha ukwelapha iNkosi uHezekhiya ‘eyagula yaba seduze lokufa.’ Endabeni le uNkulunkulu wakhetha ukungenela wayelapha inkosi le njalo yaqhubeka iphila okweminyaka engu-15. (2 AmaKho. 20:1-6) Kodwa uDavida kazange athandazele ukuthi uNkulunkulu amelaphe ngendlela eyisimangaliso. Ayekucela yikuthi uJehova amsize ngendlela ayengasiza ngayo umuntu owayenanza abahluphekayo. Lokhu kwakugoqela lokuthi amqinise nxa “elele egula.” Ngenxa yokuthi uDavida wayesethethelelwe, wayesekhululekile ukucela ukuthi uNkulunkulu amduduze, amqinise lokuthi umzimba wakhe uqine ukuze enelise ukusila ekuguleni kwakhe. (Hubo. 103:3) Lathi singakwenza lokhu.

10. Sifundani endabeni kaThrofimu lo-Ephafrodithu?

¹⁰ UDavida kayisuye yedwa ongazange elatshwe ngendlela eyisimangaliso kumbe engezelelwe iminyaka yakhe, ngitsho loThrofimu owayesebenza lomphostoli uPhawuli kakwenzelwanga lokhu. Siyakwazi ukuthi kwezinye izikhathi uPhawuli wayeselapha abagulayo. (Bala imiSebenzi 14:8-10.) Wakwenza lokhu ‘kuyise [kaPhabhiliyu] owayegula elele phansi ephethwe luqhuqho lesihudo.’ UPhawuli “esekhulekile, wambeka izandla wamsilisa.” (ImiSeb. 28:8) Kodwa uPhawuli kazange akwenze lokhu kuThrofimu owayehamba laye lapho esenkonzweni yokuba ngumnali. (ImiSeb. 20:3-5, 22; 21:29) Lapho uThrofimu esehlaselwe yikugula futhi engasenelisi ukuqhubeka ngohambo lwabo, umphostoli uPhawuli kazange amelaphe kodwa wamtshiya eMiletu ukuze asale esila. (2 Tim. 4:20) Ngokufananayo akula lapho esitshelwa khona ukuthi uPhawuli wamelapha ngendlela eyisimangaliso umngane wakhe u-Ephafrodithu ‘owagula, njalo waphosa wafa.’—Flp. 2:25-27, 30.

11, 12. Kuyini esikwaziyo ngoLukha, njalo kungani wayelusizo kakhulu kuPhawuli?

¹¹ “ULukha, udokotela,” umlobi webhuku lemiSebenzi laye wayehamba loPhawuli. (Kol. 4:14; ImiSeb. 16:10-12; 20:5, 6) Kuliqiniso ukuthi uLukha wayehlala ecebisa uPhawuli labanye ngendlela zokwelatshwa futhi ebelapha nxa babehamba betshumayela. Kungani uLukha kwakumele akwenze lokhu? Ngoba uPhawuli labanye ayehamba labo babeke bahlaselwe yimikhuhlane. (Gal. 4:13) ULukha wayengabanceda ngokubelapha ngokuvumelana lamazwi kaJesu athi: “Kakusibo abaphilayo abaswela umelaphi, kodwa ngabagulayo.”—Luk. 5:31.

¹² IBhayibhili kalisitsheli lutho ngokuthi uLukha wakufundela ngaphi njalo nini ukuba ngudokotela. Esikunanzelelayo yikuthi uPhawuli wathi ekhuluma lamaKhristu eKholose watsho ukuthi uLukha ungudokotela ngoba babemazi. Okunye esikubonayo yikuthi sasikhona isikolo sokufundela ukwelapha eLawodikheya idolobho elaliseduze leKholose. Kayisikho ukuthi uLukha wayengumuntu nje okwazi ukwelapha kodwa wayengudokotela uqobo. Lokhu kufakazelwa lulimi lwabodokotela uLukha ayelusebenzisa lapho eloba iVangeli lakhe lencwadi yemiSebenzi kanye lendlela ayelandisa ngayo mayelana lokwelapha uJesu ayekwenza.

13. Kuyini okumele sikukhumbule nxa sicebisa abanye kumbe nxa besinika amacebo okwelatshwa?

¹³ Khathesi asiphili esikhathini sokuthi amanye amaKhristu angasebenzisa “izipho zokusilisa”  ukuthi aselaphe. Kodwa abanye abafowethu abangahlosanga okubi bangasinika amacebo singabacelanga ngezindaba eziphathelane lokwelatshwa. Kuliqiniso ukuthi abanye bangakunika amacebo ajayekileyo angakusiza sibili. UPhawuli wakwenza lokhu kuThimothi owayegula ebulawa yisisu mhlawumbe esasibangelwe ngamanzi angahlazekanga ayetholakala endaweni leyo. * (Khangela amabala angaphansi.) (Bala u-1 Thimothi 5:23) Kodwa lokhu kakufanani lokubamba ngamandla abanye abazalwane ukuthi basebenzise imithi yesintu, leminye imithi kumbe ukubatshela ukuthi badle ukudla okuthile okungeke kubancede loba kwezinye izikhathi kube yingozi kubo. Kwezinye izikhathi abanye abakucebisayo bangathi: ‘Isinini sami sasilomkhuhlane ofananayo sasebenzisa . . . Saba ngcono.’ Lanxa amacebo la engakhanya angani ayasebenza, kuhle ukuthi sicabangisise ngezingozi ezingaba khona ngokusebenzisa imithi ejayelekileyo kanye lezindlela zokwelatshwa ezaziwayo.—Bala uZaga 27:12.

14, 15. (a) Abanye abantu benzani ngokugula kwabanye? (b) UZaga 14:15 angasinceda njani endabeni yokukhetha indlela yokwelatshwa?

¹⁴ Sonke siyakufuna ukuba lempilakahle ukuze sikholise ukuphila futhi sisebenze gadalala ekukhonzeni uNkulunkulu. Kodwa silesono esasithatha ku-Adamu yikho sihlala sigula. Kulezindlela ezinengi esingelatshwa ngazo nxa sigula. Umuntu ngamunye ulelungelo lokuzikhethela indlela afuna ukwelatshwa ngayo. Kodwa okudanisayo yikuthi emhlabeni lo esiphila kuwo kugcwele abantu abalobuhwaba abafuna ukwenza imali ngokuqila abantu abagulayo. Abanye bathengisa “imithi” betshela abantu amanga loba bebakhohlisa ngokuthi abanye yabasebenzela. Ikanti abanye abantu loba amankampani bathengisa imithi ebiza kakhulu ukuze bathole imali enengi. Emuntwini ogulayo ofuna ukusila njalo aphile isikhathi eside “imithi” enjalo ingaba ngekhangayo sibili. Kodwa kasingasikhohlwa isixwayiso esiseLizwini likaNkulunkulu esithi: “Umuntu oyisithutha ukholwa loba yini, kodwa olengqondo uyakucabangisisa konke akwenzayo.”—Zaga. 14:15.

¹⁵ Umuntu “olengqondo” uyananzelela “loba yini” ekhulunywa ngumuntu ongelalwazi olunengi ngokuphathelane lokwelatshwa. “Olengqondo” angazibuza athi: ‘Umuntu lo ungitshela ukuthi imithi lamaphilisi lokudla okuthile kwanceda abanye, kodwa bukhona yini ubufakazi obutshengisa ukuthi akukhulumayo kuliqiniso? Phela abantu kabafanani. Kulesizatho esiqinileyo esingenza ngithembe ukuthi kuzasebenza lakimi yini? Kumele ngichwayisise yini kumbe ngibuze omunye ongabe elolwazi olugcweleyo ngezokwelatshwa?’—Dute. 17:6.

16. Yiphi imibuzo esingazibuza yona etshengisa ukuthi ‘silokuqonda’ ezindabeni zokwelatshwa?

¹⁶ ILizwi likaNkulunkulu lisikhuthaza ukuthi “siphile . . . ngokuqonda . . . ngesikhathi samanje.” (Tit. 2:12) Ukuba ‘lokuqonda’ kumbe ukucabangisisa kumele sikusebenzise ikakhulu nxa umuthi othile kumbe indlela yokwelatshwa ingazwisiseki loba ingajayelekanga. Udokotela loba umuntu ongikhuthaza ukuthi ngikusebenzise uyenelisa yini ukungichasisela ngendlela ecacileyo? Kuyahambelana yini lalokho okwaziwayo njalo abanye odokotela abayizingcitshi bayakuvuma yini ukuthi kuyasebenza? (Zaga. 22:29) Kumbe yindlela nje yokungiqila? Mhlawumbe omunye angakutshela ukuthi umuthi lo omutsha uvela endaweni ekhatshana njalo odokotela abakabi lolwazi ngawo. Kodwa lokhu akutshoyo kulengqondo yini? Eminye imitshina yokuhlola imikhuhlane kanye lemithi kuthiwa isebenza  ngendlela eyisimangaliso. Lokhu kumele kusenze siqaphele ngoba uNkulunkulu uyasixwayisa ngokusebenzisa “imilingo” lokuya ezinyangeni.—Dute. 18:10-12.

17. Yisiphi isifiso esilengqondo esilaso sonke?

¹⁷ Ngekhulu lokuqala iqula elibusayo lathumela incwadi eqakathekileyo emabandleni. Selilandise konke amaKhristu okwakumele akuyekele laphetha ngokuthi: “Lizabe lenze kuhle uma lizixwaya lezizinto. Salani kuhle.” (ImiSeb. 15:29) Kwezinye izindimi amazwi okuvalelisa asevesini le ahunyutshwa ngokuthi “libe lempilo enhle” kumbe “liqine.” Ngakho siyakufuna sibili ukuba ‘lempilo enhle’ ukuze sikhonze uNkulunkulu wethu siqinile.

18, 19. Kuyini esikukhangeleleyo emhlabeni omutsha?

¹⁸ Sizahlala sigula ingqe nje sisalokhu silesono futhi siphila emhlabeni lo obuswa nguSathane. Yikho okwakhathesi ngeke silindele ukwelatshwa ngendlela eyisimangaliso. Kodwa iSambulo 22:1, 2 sisitshela ngokwelatshwa kwabantu bonke okuzakwenzakala ngesikhathi esizayo. Umphostoli uJohane wabona embonweni “umfula wamanzi okuphila” kanye ‘lezihlahla zokuphila’ ezazilamahlamvu ‘okwelapha izizwe.’ Lokhu akutsho ukwelatshwa ngezihlahla khathesi kumbe esikhathini esizayo. Kodwa kutsho uhlelo lokuphila phakade uJehova asinika lona esebenzisa uJesu. Lokhu sikukhangelele ngabomvu!—Isaya. 35:5, 6.

¹⁹ Lanxa sisalindele ikusasa elihle kangaka, siyakwazi ukuthi uJehova ulendaba lathi kungelani lokuthi siyagula loba hatshi. Silethemba elinjengelikaDavida lokuthi uNkulunkulu uzasiqinisa nxa sigula. Lathi njengoDavida singatsho siphinde sithi: “Ubuqotho bami busekelwa nguwe njalo ungimisa phambi kwakho nini lanini.”—Hubo. 41:12.