“Sondelani Kunkulunkulu, Naye Uyosondela Kini”
Ngaphambi Nangemva Kokufunda IZwi LikaNkulunkulu—Isikhathi Esidlule Esibi Nekusasa Eliqhakazile
“IZWI likaNkulunkulu liyaphila, linamandla futhi libukhali kunanoma iyiphi inkemba esika nhlangothi zombili . . . futhi liyakwazi ukuqonda imicabango nezinhloso zenhliziyo.” (Hebheru 4:12) Washo kanjalo umphostoli uPawulu ngamandla esigijimi sikaNkulunkulu afinyelela ekujuleni. Amandla aso okufinyelela inhliziyo aba sobala ikakhulukazi phakathi nekhulu lokuqala C.E. Naphezu kwethonya elibi langaleso sikhathi, labo ababa amaKristu bagqoka ubuntu obusha.—Roma 1:28, 29; Kolose 3:8-10.
Amandla aguqulayo eZwi likaNkulunkulu, njengoba elotshwe eBhayibhelini, ayabonakala nanamuhla. Ngokwesibonelo, cabanga ngendaba yendoda ende, enezikhwepha, egama layo linguRichard. Ngenxa yokushesha ukuthukuthela, uRichard wayelwela nento ewubala. Ukuphila kwakhe kwakonakaliswe ubudlova. URichard waze wajoyina neqembu lesibhakela. Waziqeqesha kanzima waze waba umpetha wesibhakela esigabeni sosondonzima eWestphalia, eJalimane. URichard futhi wayephuza kakhulu evame nokulwa. Kwenye impi, kwafa umuntu, uRichard wacishe waphelela ejele.
Kuthiwani ngomshado kaRichard? “Ngaphambi kokuba mina noHeike sifunde iBhayibheli,” kukhumbula uRichard, “ngamunye wayeziphilela ngendlela yakhe. UHeike wayechitha isikhathi esiningi nabangane bakhe bamantombazane, mina ngibe ngizilibazisa—ngokuyihloko ngesibhakela, ukuntweza phezu kwamanzi ngezingqwembe, nokutshuza emanzini.”
Lapho uRichard noHeike beqala ukufunda iBhayibheli noFakazi BakaJehova, kwamthena amandla uRichard ukucabanga nje ukuthi kumelwe enze izinguquko ezazibonakala zingenakwenzeka ukuze avumelanise ukuphila kwakhe nezindinganiso eziphakeme ezibekwe eZwini likaNkulunkulu. Nokho, njengoba ayefinyelela ekumazini kangcono uJehova uNkulunkulu, uRichard waba nesifiso esinamandla sokumjabulisa. URichard waqaphela ukuthi uNkulunkulu akabamukeli abathanda ubudlova noma labo ababusebenzisela ukuzijabulisa. URichard wafunda ukuthi “ngokuqinisekile umphefumulo [kaJehova] uyamzonda umuntu othanda ubudlova”—IHubo 11:5.
Ngaphezu kwalokho, ithemba lokuphila phakade epharadesi emhlabeni labahlaba umxhwele oRichard noHeike. Babefuna ukuba kulo bobabili! (Isaya 65:21-23) Isimemo esithi “sondelani kuNkulunkulu, naye uyosondela kini” samthinta ngokujulile uRichard. (Jakobe 4:8) Wayibona inzuzo yokulalela lesi seluleko esiphefumulelwe: “Ungabi nomona ngomuntu wobudlova, noma ukhethe noma iyiphi yezindlela zakhe. Ngoba umuntu okhohlisayo uyinto enengekayo kuJehova, kodwa Yena usondelana nabaqotho.”—IzAga 3:31, 32.
Nakuba ayenesifiso esinamandla sokushintsha izindlela zakhe, uRichard waqaphela ukuthi wayengeke akwazi ukukwenza ngamandla akhe siqu. Wasibona isidingo sokufuna usizo lukaNkulunkulu ngokuthandaza. Wabe esenza ngokuvumela namazwi kaJesu kubaphostoli baKhe: “Nithandaze njalo, ukuze ningangeni esilingweni. Yebo, umoya uyalangazela, kodwa inyama ibuthakathaka.”—Mathewu 26:41.
Ngemva kokufunda ukuthi uNkulunkulu ububheka kanjani ubudlova nesifuthefuthe sentukuthelo, uRichard akangabazanga engqondweni yakhe ukuthi isibhakela siwumdlalo ongamukeleki. Ngosizo lukaJehova nesikhuthazo salabo abamfundisa iBhayibheli, uRichard wahlukana nobudlova. Wasishiya phansi isibhakela nokulwa, wanquma ukuthuthukisa ukuphila komkhaya wakhe. “Ukufunda iqiniso eBhayibhelini kuye kwangisiza ukuba ngicabange ngaphambi kokuba ngenze,” kusho uRichard, manje ongumbonisi onenhliziyo emnene kwelinye lamabandla oFakazi BakaJehova. Uyanezela: “Manje ngiqondiswa izimiso zothando nenhlonipho ebuhlotsheni bami nomkami nezingane zami. Ngenxa yalokho, umkhaya wethu uye wabumbana.”
Abantu abadukisiwe ngezinye izikhathi baye bamangalela oFakazi BakaJehova ngokuthi bachitha imikhaya. Nokho, izibonelo zabantu abafana noRichard ziyakuphikisa abakushoyo. Ngempela, iqiniso leBhayibheli lingenza imikhaya izinze futhi ikusasa liqhakaze kulabo abaye baba nesikhathi esidlule esibi.—Jeremiya 29:11.
[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 9]
“Ithemba lomhlaba oyipharadesi langinika isisusa sokuguquka”
[Ibhokisi ekhasini 9]
Izimiso ZeBhayibheli Ezisebenzayo
IBhayibheli lingaba nethonya elinamandla ekuphileni kwabantu. Nazi ezinye izimiso zeBhayibheli eziye zasiza abantu abanobudlova ukuba bashintshe:
“Owephuza ukuthukuthela ungcono kunendoda enamandla, nolawula umoya wakhe ungcono kunothumba umuzi.” (IzAga 16:32) Intukuthelo engalawuleki iwuphawu lokuba buthakathaka, hhayi ukuba namandla.
“Ukuqondisisa komuntu ngokuqinisekile kubambezela intukuthelo yakhe.” (IzAga 19:11) Ukuqondisisa isimo kuyamsiza umuntu ukuba abone ngale kwezizathu ezisobala zokungaboni ngaso linye futhi angavimbela ukuqhuma kwentukuthelo.
‘Ungabi nabungane nanoma ubani othambekele entukuthelweni ukuze ungajwayelani nezindlela zakhe.’ (IzAga 22:24, 25) Ngokuhlakanipha amaKristu ayakugwema ukuzihlanganisa nalabo abathambekele ekuthukutheleni.