Linda Ngomonde

UMALUSI owayesoloko ekhala esithi “Yhoo nants’ ingcuka!” kungekho ngcuka wathi sele ekhala efuna uncedo ngokwenene akwabikho mntu umkhathalelayo. Ngokufanayo namhlanje, abaninzi abakusi so ukusondela kwemini kaYehova ngenxa yokuba beve izilumkiso eziliqela eziye zangqineka zibubuxoki. Isibakala sokuba abaninzi kangaka besilela ukusiqonda esona silumkiso sokwenene baze banikele ingqalelo kuso siyaluvuyisa utshaba olukhulu lukaThixo, uSathana, ‘ingelosi yokukhanya’ yobuxoki.—2 Korinte 11:14.

Umoya wokuzithemba usenokuba yingozi kwanakwabo baye bakhonza uYehova kangangexesha elithile. Ngoba? Qwalasela isilumkiso sikampostile uPetros ngenkulungwane yokuqala.

Cingisisa

Ileta yesibini kaPetros ephefumlelweyo yayisisikhumbuzo kumaKristu okuqala, kwaye isenjalo nakuthi. Ubhala athi: “Zintanda, le ngoku yileta yesibini endinibhalela yona, endithi kuyo, njengakuleyo yokuqala, ndivuselele amandla enu okucinga angcwengekileyo ngendlela yokunikhumbuza.” (2 Petros 3:1) Yintoni le ixhalabisa uPetros kangaka? UPetros ukhankanya ubukho babagculeli abagculela ngokujongela phantsi ukungxamiseka okufunekayo ngokuphathelele ixesha abaphila kulo abakhonzi bakaThixo. Ngoku lixesha lokukulumkela ukuqhathwa ngabagxeki. Ngaloo ndlela uPetros ubongoza abafundi bakhe ukuba ‘bawakhumbule amazwi awathethwa ngaphambili ngabaprofeti abangcwele.’ (2 Petros 3:2; IZenzo 3:22, 23) Babetheni abaprofeti?

Kwizihlandlo eziliqela abakhonzi bakaThixo abathembekileyo baye banikela ingqalelo kwindlela imigwebo kaThixo eyabuphelisa ngayo ubungendawo. UPetros ukhumbuza abafundi bakhe ngoMkhukula womhla kaNowa owasetyenziswa nguThixo ukuze angenelele xa umhlaba wawuzaliswe bububi. Ezo zantyalantyala zikaNogumbe zaliphelisa ngokunempumelelo ihlabathi lelo xesha. Kodwa uThixo wamlondoloza uNowa nentsapho yakhe emkhombeni kuquka nezinye izidalwa eziphilileyo ‘zenyama yonke.’ Amabali akhoyo emhlabeni wonke anikela ubungqina ngobunyaniso bale ngxelo yeBhayibhile.a—Genesis 6:19; 2 Petros 3:5, 6.

Oko kungenelela kukaThixo uPetros ukubiza ngokuba ‘sisibakala esingaphawulekiyo’ sabantu abathile. Yaye abanye beyele ekuqhathweni ngabagculeli balo mhla. Noko ke, umbono wethu awumele ufiphale ngoko asele ekwenzile uYehova. UPetros uyasixelela: “Kwangelo lizwi linye amazulu nomhlaba akhoyo ngoku aqwetyelwe umlilo yaye abekelwe imini yomgwebo neyentshabalalo yabantu abangenabuthixo.” (2 Petros 3:7) Ewe, uThixo uza kungenelela kwakhona.

UThixo Akacothi

Amawaka eminyaka sele edlule. Kutheni uThixo eye walinda ithuba elide kangaka ngaphambi kokuba acombulule iingxaki zoluntu? Kwakhona, uPetros unikela ingqalelo kwesinye isibakala. Uthi: “Esi sibakala sinye masingakhe singaphawuleki kuni, zintanda, ukuba imini enye kuYehova injengeminyaka eliwaka neminyaka eliwaka injengemini enye.” (2 Petros 3:8) Indlela uYehova alijonga ngayo ixesha yahlukile kweyethu. KuThixo ongenasiphelo, ixesha eliqala ekudalweni kuka-Adam de kube ngoku alikafiki nasevekini. Kodwa enoba injani indlela esilijonga ngayo ixesha, iwaka leminyaka nomhla ngamnye odlulayo zisisondeza ekufezekisweni kwenjongo kaYehova.

Intetho yesiNgesi ethi “imbiza ebukelweyo ayibili” ithetha ukukhangela phambili kokuthile okungazukwenzeka ngexesha obunjonge kulo. Noko ke, uPetros ucebisa ukuba ‘silindele yaye sibugcine ngokusondeleyo engqondweni ubukho bemini kaYehova.’ (2 Petros 3:12) Sinokusihlakulela njani isimo sengqondo esisigcina siphaphile ngenxa yokusondela kokungenelela kukaThixo?

Ukuthetha Asikokwenza

UPetros unikela ingqalelo kwizenzo. Ubhekisela ‘kuhlobo lwabantu esifanele sibe lulo kwihambo yezenzo ezingcwele’ kwakhona ‘kwanakwizenzo zozinikelo lobuthixo.’ (2 Petros 3:11) Oku kubandakanya ntoni?

Umkhonzi wokwenene kaThixo wenza izinto ngendlela ekholisa Yena. Ukholo lwalo mkhonzi unyanisekileyo lubonakala kwindlela aziphethe ngayo. Oku kuyamahlula kwabo baye bathethe ngokukholelwa kuThixo nakumadinga akhe. Mhlawumbi usenokuba uphawulile ukuba ubulungiseleli basekuhleni bamaNgqina kaYehova bubabonisa njengabantu abohlukileyo. Beza ekhayeni lakho ukuze bakubonise ngamathemba kaThixo aboniswe eBhayibhileni. Kodwa kwakhona banikela ubungqina kumathemba nakwinkolo yabo naphi na apho badibana nabantu.

INgqina elizixakekisa ngokuvakalisa ngokholo lwalo kwabanye lenza ukholo lwalo luqine yaye lomelele. Ukuthetha ngento kuyenza ibetheleleke engqondweni ibe kwangaxeshanye kuzisa uvuyo nolwaneliseko lokwenene. Xa sivakalisa iindaba ezilungileyo zoBukumkani bukaThixo, sikwakholisa uYehova. Siyazi ukuba ‘akanantswela-bulungisa ukuba angawulibala umsebenzi wethu nothando esilubonisayo ngegama lakhe,’ njengokuba umhlobo kaPetros umpostile uPawulos esitsho.—Hebhere 6:10; Roma 10:9, 10.

Uyintoni umphumo wale nkxalabo ingaka yokusasazwa kweendaba ezilungileyo zoBukumkani ebudeni bezi ntsuku zokugqibela zale nkqubo yezinto? Amakhulu amawaka abantu abantliziyo zinyanisekileyo afunda ngendlela anokuba nolwalamano ngayo noYehova, ukuze angenelwe kwinceba yakhe aze afumane nolonwabo lokwenene ngenxa yethemba lokuphila ubomi obungenasiphelo kwiparadesi esemhlabeni.

Ukwazi Kusengaphambili

Nangona sisazi ngokusuka eBhayibhileni ukuba uYehova uThixo uya kungenelela ngexesha lakhe elifanelekileyo, kufuneka sithobele esinye isilumkiso esinikelwa nguPetros. “Nina, ke ngoko, zintanda, ekubeni ninolu lwazi kwangaphambili, zilindeni ukuze ningawexulwa kunye nabo ngemposiso yabantu abadelela umthetho nize niwe ekuqineni kwenu.”—2 Petros 3:17.

Ngokuqinisekileyo uYehova wazi kusengaphambili ukuba abo bangenalo ukholo olomeleleyo banokudimazeka ngenxa yokuba kubonakala ngathi uThixo uyalibazisa ekungeneleni. Kwakhona wayesazi ukuba impembelelo yabantu abangenabuthixo yayiya konakalisa abakhonzi bakhe bokwenene okanye, mhlawumbi bajongele phantsi inkolelo abanayo yokuba ukungcwaliswa kwegama likaThixo kukufuphi. Hayi indlela ebekuya kuba yingozi ngayo ukuyekelela umxakatho kwezi ntsuku zokugqibela!

Eli asiloxesha lokuba namathandabuzo okanye lokungaqiniseki ngento aya kuyenza uYehova. (Hebhere 12:1) Kunoko, eli lixesha lokuba noxabiso ngakumbi ngoko umonde kaYehova ukwenzileyo—ithemba losindiso kwizigidi zabantu ababa yinxalenye yesihlwele esikhulu esisehlabathini lonke nelokujonga phambili ekusindeni kwimbandezelo enkulu ezayo. (ISityhilelo 7:9, 14) UPetros uyasibongoza: “Kodwa qhubekani nikhula ebubeleni obungasifanelanga naselwazini lweNkosi noMsindisi wethu uYesu Kristu. Kuye makubekho uzuko kokubini ngoku kuse nakwimini kanaphakade.”—2 Petros 3:18.

“Zigcineni Kuthando LukaThixo”

Ukuxakeka ngumsebenzi wokushumayela ngoBukumkani nokuya ezintlanganisweni zamaKristu rhoqo ukuze sinqule size sifunde iLizwi likaThixo kuyasikhusela. Ngaloo ndlela, asiyi kuba nalo ixesha lokuxhalaba ngokugqithiseleyo ngenxa yeemeko eziwohlokayo zale nkqubo ingendawo. Ukoyika nokuba nexhala akumele kuwaxhalabise amaKristu okwenyaniso. (1 Korinte 15:58) Okukhona sixakekile sikhonza uYehova, kokukhona ixesha liya kukhawuleza.

UYude owayephila ngexesha likaPetros nokwangumnakwabo Yesu ngonina uyasibongoza: “Nina, zintanda, ngokuzakha kolwenu ukholo olulolona lungcwele, nokuthandaza ninomoya oyingcwele, zigcineni kuthando lukaThixo, ngoxa nilindele inceba yeNkosi yethu uYesu Kristu nikhangele kubomi obungunaphakade.” (Yude 20, 21) Phawula ukubaluleka kwesimo sengqondo esihlakulelwa kukuzingisa emthandazweni. (1 Tesalonika 5:17) Emva koko uYude wongezelela esithi: “Qhubekani nibonisa inceba kwabathile abanamathandabuzo; basindiseni ngokubaxwila emlilweni. Kodwa qhubekani nibonisa inceba kwabanye, nisenjenjalo ngoloyiko, ngoxa nithiya kwanesambatho sangaphakathi esidyojwe yinyama.” (Yude 22, 23) Hayi indlela ekubaluleke ngayo ukomelezana ebudeni bala maxesha anzima! Yaye hayi indlela ekubaluleke ngayo ukungangeni esilingweni, usebenzisa ‘lo mhla wosindiso’ usaseleyo njengesingxengxezo “sehambo evakalala,” exhaphakileyo ngoku kweli hlabathi liwohlokileyo ngokokuziphatha.—Yude 4; 2 Korinte 6:1, 2.

Ngokuthobela isiluleko sothando sikaPetros, uPawulos noYude nokuxakeka kwinkonzo kaThixo, unokulinda ngomonde ekungeneleleni kukaYehova. Kodwa ngaba uya kwenjenjalo?

Musa ukuba mathidala ukuqhagamshelana namaNgqina asekuhlaleni ukuze akuncede womeleze ukholo lwakho kwisithembiso soMdali sobomi obungunaphakade. Funda oko kufunekayo ukuze ukulungele ukuba nesabelo kulo msebenzi ungasayi kuphinda wenziwe wokunikela ubungqina ehlabathini lonke oya kugqitywa ekuqaleni kwembandezelo enkulu. (Marko 13:10) Uya kwandula ke ube nethemba lokuphila kwihlabathi elitsha elinobulungisa elithenjiswa nguYehova. (2 Petros 3:13) Zithobele izikhumbuzo zakhe! Linda ngomonde! Xakeka!

[Imibhalo esemazantsi]

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Funda ngoku ngesithembiso sikaThixo seParadesi

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Wolf: Animals/Jim Harter/Dover Publications, Inc.; young shepherd: Children: A Pictorial Archive from Nineteenth-Century Sources/Grafton/Dover Publications, Inc.