Waswe, Enitaem Iu Ask, “Wea Nao Jehovah?”
“Olketa stap farawe from mi . . . And olketa no sei,‘Wea nao Jehovah?’”—JEREMIAH 2:5, 6.
1. Taem pipol ask, “Wea nao God?,” wanem nao maet olketa tingim?
“WEA nao God?” Planti pipol askem datfala kwestin. Samfala laek for savve nomoa wea nao Creator hem stap. Samfala askem disfala kwestin bihaen wanfala bigfala trabol or taem olketa seleva kasem bigfala hevi and no minim why nao God no helpem olketa. Olketa narawan nating ting raonem diswan bikos olketa no bilivim hao God hem stap.—Psalm 10:4.
2. Hu nao win for luk aotem God?
2 Hem tru, planti pipol luksavve long bigfala pruv hao God hem stap. (Psalm 19:1; 104:24) Samfala long olketa hia hapi for just followim religion bilong olketa. Bat strongfala love for truth muvim planti narawan, long evri difren kantri, for luk aotem tru God. Olketa no hard waka nating bikos hem “no farawe from iumi wanwan.”—Acts 17:26-28.
3. (a) God hem stap long wea? (b) Wanem nao really mining bilong datfala kwestin from Bible, “Wea nao Jehovah?”
3 Taem wanfala man hem barava faendem Jehovah, hem luksavve hao “God hem wanfala Spirit,” wea olketa man no savve lukim. (John 4:24) Taem Jesus story abaotem tru God hem kolem hem “Father bilong mi wea stap long heven.” Wanem nao datwan hem minim? Hem minim hao ples wea Father bilong iumi stap hem wanfala hae ples long spiritual wei, long sem wei wea skae hem hae winim earth. (Matthew 12:50; Isaiah 63:15) Nomata iumi no savve lukim God, hem mekem wei for iumi savve long hem and for lanem staka samting abaotem purpose bilong hem. (Exodus 33:20; 34:6, 7) Hem ansarem olketa kwestin bilong honest pipol wea laek for savve abaotem mining bilong laef. Saed long olketa samting wea affectim laef bilong iumi, hem helpem iumi for luksavve long tingting bilong hem, and sapos samting wea iumi wantem hem fitim purpose bilong hem. Hem laekem iumi for kwestinim kaen samting olsem wea affectim laef bilong iumi and for trae hard for faendem olketa ansa. Thru long profet Jeremiah, Jehovah repruvim pipol bilong Israel bifor bikos olketa fail for duim diswan. Olketa savve long nem bilong God, bat olketa no ask, “Wea nao Jehovah?” (Jeremiah 2:6) Purpose bilong Jehovah hem no main samting wea olketa tingim. Olketa no luk aotem direction bilong hem. Taem iu mas mekem olketa big and smol disison, waswe, iu savve ask, “Wea nao Jehovah?”
Olketa wea Luk Aotem Direction From God
4. Hao nao iumi savve kasem gud samting from example bilong David for luk aotem direction bilong Jehovah?
4 Taem hem young man yet, David, son bilong Jesse, mekem grow strongfala faith long Jehovah. Hem savve long Jehovah olsem “datfala living God.” David seleva experiencem protection bilong Jehovah. Faith bilong hem and wei wea hem lovem “nem bilong Jehovah” muvim David for killim dae datfala Philistine giant Goliath wea garem staka samting for faet. (1 Samuel 17:26, 34-51) Bat nomata David hem win, datwan no mekem hem trustim hemseleva. Hem no start for ting hao, nomata wanem hem duim, Jehovah bae mekem hem win. Planti taem, long olketa year bihaen, David luk aotem direction bilong Jehovah taem hem mas disaedem samting. (1 Samuel 23:2; 30:8; 2 Samuel 2:1; 5:19) Hem go ahed for prea: “Mekem mi savve long olketa wei bilong iu, O Jehovah; teachim mi olketa road bilong iu. Mekem mi wakabaot long truth bilong iu and teachim mi, from iu nao God wea sevem mi. For full day mi hope long iu.” (Psalm 25:4, 5) Hem nambawan example for iumi followim!
5, 6. Hao nao Jehoshaphat luk aotem Jehovah long olketa difren taem long laef bilong hem?
5 Long taem bilong King Jehoshaphat, mek-faev king long laen wea kamaot from David, olketa army bilong thrifala nation join tugeta for faet againstim Judah. Taem disfala emergency kamap, Jehoshaphat hem “disaed strong for luk aotem Jehovah.” (2 Chronicles 20:1-3) Diswan hem no firstaem wea Jehoshaphat luk aotem Jehovah. Datfala king hem stap klia from wei wea apostate northern kingdom bilong Israel strong tumas for worshipim Baal and hem chus for wakabaot long olketa wei bilong Jehovah. (2 Chronicles 17:3, 4) So taem hem feisim wanfala bigfala trabol, hao nao Jehoshaphat “luk aotem Jehovah”?
6 Long wanfala pablik prea wea hem talem long Jerusalem long datfala hardfala taem, hem showaot klia hao Jehoshaphat tingim olmaeti paoa bilong Jehovah. Hem barava ting raonem finis purpose bilong Jehovah wea showaot thru long wei wea Hem raosem olketa nara nation and givim samfala land long Israel olsem wanfala present. Datfala king luksavve hao hem needim help bilong Jehovah. (2 Chronicles 20:6-12) Waswe, Jehovah ansarem hem long datfala taem? Barava nao. Thru long Jahaziel, wanfala Levite, Jehovah givim olketa kliafala instruction, and long next day Hem mekem pipol bilong Hem win. (2 Chronicles 20:14-28) Hao nao iu savve sure Jehovah bae ansarem iu taem iu luk aotem direction bilong hem?
7. God herem prea bilong hu?
7 Jehovah hem no favorim eniwan. Hem invaetem pipol from evri nation for luk aotem hem thru long prea. (Psalm 65:2; Acts 10:34, 35) Hem luksavve long wanem nao insaed heart bilong olketa wea prea long hem. Hem promisim iumi hao hem herem prea bilong olketa wea raeteous. (Proverbs 15:29) Hem letem olketa wea no interest long hem bifor bat wea distaem hambol for luk aotem direction bilong hem, for faendem hem. (Isaiah 65:1) Hem herem tu prea bilong olketa wea fail for keepim law bilong hem bat wea hambol for repent distaem. (Psalm 32:5, 6; Acts 3:19) Bat, taem man garem heart wea no willing for obeyim God, olketa prea bilong hem iusles. (Mark 7:6, 7) Lukim samfala example.
Olketa Prea Bat No Kasem Ansa
8. Why nao Jehovah no acceptim prea bilong King Saul?
8 Bihaen profet Samuel talem King Saul hao God rejectim hem from hem no obey, Saul baodaon long Jehovah. (1 Samuel 15:30, 31) Bat hem no duim diswan from heart bilong hem. Saul no want for obeyim God bat hem want for kasem honor front long pipol. Bihaen, taem olketa Philistine faet againstim Israel, Saul duim samting wea mekem hem luk olsem hem luk aotem Jehovah. Bat, taem hem no kasem ansa, hem go long wanfala woman wea savve tok witim olketa spirit, nomata hem savve Jehovah tambuim diswan. (Deuteronomy 18:10-12; 1 Samuel 28:6, 7) Long 1 Chronicles 10:14 hem sei abaotem Saul: “Hem no luk aotem Jehovah.” Why nao hem sei olsem? Bikos Saul no prea witim faith. So, hem olsem hem nating prea.
9. Why nao wei wea Zedekiah begim direction bilong Jehovah hem no stret?
9 Long sem wei tu, klosap long taem wea kingdom bilong Judah hem finis, olketa pipol prea and luk aotem advaes from olketa profet bilong Jehovah. Olketa sei olketa respectim Jehovah bat long semtaem, worshipim olketa idol. (Zephaniah 1:4-6) Nomata olketa duim samting wea luk olsem olketa luk aotem God, olketa no garem heart wea obeyim will bilong hem. King Zedekiah begim Jeremiah for askem Jehovah for direction. Jehovah talem finis long datfala king wanem hem mas duim. Bat, from hem no garem faith and hem fraetem olketa man, datfala king no obeyim toktok bilong Jehovah, and Jehovah no givim eni nara ansa wea king bae laek herem.—Jeremiah 21:1-12; 38:14-19.
10. Why nao wei wea Johanan luk aotem direction bilong Jehovah hem no stret, and wanem nao iumi savve lanem from mistek bilong hem?
10 Bihaen Jerusalem hem distroe finis and army bilong Babylon tekem go olketa Jew prisoner, Johanan mekredy for tekem smol grup bilong olketa Jew wea stap long Judah for go long Egypt. Olketa planim finis, bat bifor olketa go, olketa askem Jeremiah for prea for olketa and for luk aotem direction from Jehovah. Bat, taem olketa kasem difren ansa from wanem olketa laekem, olketa go ahed for followim plan bilong olketa seleva. (Jeremiah 41:16–43:7) Waswe, iu lanem eni leson from olketa samting hia wea savve helpem iu, mekem taem iu luk aotem Jehovah, hem bae letem iu faendem hem?
“Go Ahed for Mek Sure”
11. Why nao iumi need for followim advaes long Ephesians 5:10?
11 Tru worship hem minim moa samting winim wei for showimaot iumi dedicate long wei for baptaes long wata, for attendim olketa kongregeson meeting, and share long pablik ministry. Hem affectim living bilong iumi evribit. Evriday iumi kasem samfala hevi—samfala wea haed, samfala wea moa klia—wea savve pullim iumi go difren from living wea followim God. Hao nao bae iumi deal witim olketa hevi hia? Taem hem raet go long olketa faithful Christian long Ephesus, aposol Paul encouragem olketa: “Go ahed for mek sure long samting wea Lord hem acceptim.” (Ephesians 5:10) Planti example insaed Bible showimaot klia hao datwan hem wisefala advaes.
12. Why nao Jehovah no hapi taem David muvim ark bilong covenant go long Jerusalem?
12 Bihaen Israel kasem bak ark bilong covenant and for planti year keepim long Kiriath-jearim, King David laek for muvim datfala Ark go long Jerusalem. Hem story witim olketa chief and hem sei for muvim Ark ‘sapos hem gud long olketa and Jehovah hem willing.’ Bat hem no barava faendemaot will bilong Jehovah saed long diswan. Sapos hem duim olsem, hard tumas for olketa putim datfala Ark antap long wanfala wagon. Bae olketa Kohathite Levite karem long shoulder bilong olketa, olsem kliafala instruction bilong God talem. Nomata David planti taem luk aotem direction bilong Jehovah, long datfala taem hem fail for duim olsem long stretfala wei. Barava nogud samting kamaot from datwan. Bihaen, David talemaot: “God bilong iumi Jehovah hem kros long iumi, bikos iumi no luk aotem hem followim stretfala wei.”—1 Chronicles 13:1-3; 15:11-13; Numbers 4:4-6, 15; 7:1-9.
13. Bihaen olketa muvim Ark, wanem reminder nao insaed datfala song wea olketa singim?
13 Gogo, taem olketa Levite karem go datfala Ark from haos bilong Obed-edom go long Jerusalem, olketa singim wanfala song wea David raetem. Hem garem disfala reminder wea kam from heart: “Luk aotem Jehovah and strong bilong hem, luk aotem feis bilong hem evritaem. No forgetim olketa nambawan samting wea hem duim, olketa mirakol and olketa judicial disison bilong mouth bilong hem.”—1 Chronicles 16:11, 12.
14. Hao nao iumi savve kasem gud samting from gudfala example bilong Solomon and from olketa mistek wea hem mekem taem hem olo?
14 Bifor hem dae, David advaesem son bilong hem Solomon: “Sapos iu luk aotem [Jehovah], bae hem letem iu faendem hem.” (1 Chronicles 28:9) Taem hem kamap king, Solomon go long Gibeon, wea tent bilong meeting hem stap, and givim sakrifaes long Jehovah. Long there, Jehovah hem sei long Solomon: “Askem mi! Wanem nao bae mi givim iu?” For ansarem samting wea Solomon askem, Jehovah willing for givim hem wisdom and savve for judgem Israel, and Hem givim hem riches and honor tu. (2 Chronicles 1:3-12) Followim plan wea Jehovah givim long David, Solomon buildim wanfala barava nambawan temple. Bat saed long marit bilong hemseleva, Solomon fail for luk aotem Jehovah. Solomon maritim olketa woman wea no worshipim Jehovah. Taem hem olo, olketa tanem heart bilong hem awe from Jehovah. (1 Kings 11:1-10) Nomata wanem position, wisdom or savve iumi maet garem, hem important for “go ahed for mek sure long samting wea Lord hem acceptim”!
15. Taem Zerah bilong Ethiopia kam for faet againstim Judah, why nao Asa savve prea witim wei for trustim hao Jehovah bae sevem Judah?
15 Record abaotem king Asa, great-granson bilong Solomon hem strongim disfala point. Elevenfala year bihaen Asa hem kamap king, Zerah bilong Ethiopia leadim wanfala army wea garem wan million man for againstim Judah. Waswe, bae Jehovah sevem Judah? Winim 500 year bifor, Jehovah talem klia wanem bae kasem pipol bilong hem sapos olketa lisin and followim olketa komand bilong hem and wanem bae happen sapos olketa no duim olsem. (Deuteronomy 28:1, 7, 15, 25) Taem hem start for rul, Asa aotem olketa altar and post bilong false worship from Judah. Hem encouragem pipol “for luk aotem Jehovah.” Asa no weit go kasem taem bigfala problem kamap bifor hem duim datwan. So witim faith long Jehovah, Asa savve prea long hem for helpem olketa. Wanem nao happen? Judah barava winim datfala war.—2 Chronicles 14:2-12.
16, 17. (a) Nomata Asa hem win, wanem reminder nao Jehovah givim long hem? (b) Taem Asa duim samting wea no wise, hem kasem wanem help, bat wanem nao hem duim? (c) Hao nao wei for ting raonem fasin bilong Asa savve helpem iumi?
16 Nomata olsem, bihaen Asa hem win, Jehovah sendem Azariah for meetim datfala king and for sei: “Herem mi, O Asa and full Judah and Benjamin! Jehovah stap witim iufala sapos iufala showimaot iufala stap witim hem; and sapos iufala luk aotem hem, bae hem letem iufala for faendem hem, bat sapos iufala lusim hem bae hem lusim iufala.” (2 Chronicles 15:2) Witim niufala strong, Asa apim tru worship. Bat 24 year bihaen, taem hem feisim narafala war, Asa no luk aotem Jehovah. Hem no lukluk long Word bilong God, and hem no rememberim samting wea Jehovah duim taem army bilong Ethiopia attakim Judah. Hem krangge for mekem agreement witim Syria.—2 Chronicles 16:1-6.
17 From diswan, Jehovah muvim profet Hanani for repruvim Asa. Long datfala taem wea Asa herem repruv bilong Jehovah hem still garem chance for kasem gudfala samting from datwan. Bat hem feel nogud and putim Hanani long ples for lokim hand and leg bilong hem. (2 Chronicles 16:7-10) Datwan hem sorre samting! Waswe long iumi? Waswe, iumi luk aotem God bat then no willing for acceptim kaonsel? Taem wanfala elder wea kea for iumi hem iusim Bible for kaonselem iumi for wei wea iumi busy tumas long olketa samting long world, waswe, iumi tinghae long loving help wea iumi kasem for savve “long samting wea Lord hem acceptim”?
No Forget for Ask
18. Hao nao iumi savve kasem gud samting from toktok wea Elihu talem long Job?
18 Nomata wanfala man wea servem Jehovah for longtaem finis, hem tu savve duim samting wea Jehovah no acceptim taem hem kasem hevi. Taem Job kasem barava nogud sik, olketa pikinini dae, hem lusim evri samting, and olketa fren laea for accusim hem, hem tingim hemseleva nomoa. Elihu remindim hem: “No eniwan hem sei, ‘Wea nao God, Nambawan Creator bilong mi?’ ” (Job 35:10) Job need for tanem tingting bilong hem long Jehovah and for tingim hao Jehovah hem ting long samting wea kasem hem. Job hambol for acceptim datfala reminder, and example bilong hem savve helpem iumi for duim sem samting.
19. Wanem nao pipol bilong Israel fail for duim planti taem?
19 Pipol bilong Israel savve long wei wea God deal witim nation bilong olketa. Bat planti taem olketa no tingim diswan taem olketa deal witim olketa problem long laef. (Jeremiah 2:5, 6, 8) Taem olketa mas mekem disison long laef, olketa duim wanem olketa nao laekem and no ask, “Wea nao Jehovah?”—Isaiah 5:11, 12.
Go Ahed for Ask, “Wea Nao Jehovah?”
20, 21. (a) Distaem, hu nao showimaot sem spirit olsem Elisha for luk aotem direction bilong Jehovah? (b) Hao nao iumi savve followim and kasem gud samting from example bilong faith bilong olketa?
20 Taem pablik ministry bilong Elijah hem finis, attendant bilong hem Elisha tekem spesol kaleko wea foldaon from Elijah, go long Jordan River, hitim wata witim kaleko, and ask olsem: “Wea nao Jehovah datfala God bilong Elijah, yes Hem?” (2 Kings 2:14) Jehovah hem ansa long wei for showimaot spirit bilong hem stap long Elisha. Wanem nao iumi savve lanem from diswan?
21 Semkaen samting hem happen long taem bilong iumi. Samfala anointed Christian wea lead dae. Olketa wea changem olketa for lead lukluk gud long Bible and prea long Jehovah for direction. Olketa evritaem ask, “Wea nao Jehovah?” From diswan, Jehovah go ahed for leadim and blessim waka bilong pipol bilong hem. Waswe, iumi followim faith bilong olketa? (Hebrews 13:7) Sapos olsem, iumi bae stap klosap long organization bilong Jehovah, followim direction wea iumi kasem, and share evribit long waka wea datfala organization duim anda long direction bilong Jesus Christ.—Zechariah 8:23.
Hao Nao Bae Iu Ansa?
• Iumi shud garem wanem goal taem iumi ask, “Wea nao Jehovah?”
• Hao nao iumi distaem savve faendem ansa for datfala kwestin, “Wea nao Jehovah?”
• Why nao samfala prea for direction bilong God no kasem ansa?
• Olketa wanem Bible example nao showimaot need for “go ahed for mek sure long samting wea Lord hem acceptim”?
[Piksa long page 9]
Hao nao King Jehoshaphat luk aotem Jehovah?
[Piksa long page 10]
Why nao Saul go long wanfala woman wea savve tok witim olketa spirit?
[Olketa Piksa long page 12]
Prea, study, and ting raonem for faendaot ‘wea nao Jehovah’