1. Ziziphi izinto esikwaziyo ukuzenza ngenxa yokuba sidalwe ngokomfanekiselo kaThixo?

SIWAQHELE gqitha amazwi athi: “Nguyis’ ehleli,” xa kubhekiselwa kumntwana ofana okanye owenz’ izinto njengoyise. Yinyaniso ukuba abantwana abaninzi bayafana nabazali babo. Kaloku, mzali ngamnye uye adlulisele imizila yakhe yemfuza emntwaneni. UYehova, uBawo wethu wasezulwini, unguMniki-bomi. (INdu. 36:9) Ekubeni singabantwana bakhe, thina bantu sinazo izinto esifana ngazo naye. Kuba sidalwe ngokomfanekiselo wakhe, siyakwazi ukuqiqa, ukwenza izigqibo nokwakha ubuhlobo size sibulondoloze.—Gen. 1:26.

2. Yintoni ebangela ukuba uYehova abe nguMhlobo wethu osenyongweni?

² UYehova unako ukuba nguMhlobo wethu osenyongweni. Obo buhlobo bubangelwa yinto yokuba esithanda, nathi sinokholo kuye nakuNyana wakhe. UYesu wathi: “UThixo walithanda kakhulu ihlabathi kangangokuba wanikela ngoNyana wakhe okuphela kwamzeleyo, ukuze wonk’ ubani obonisa ukholo kuye angatshabalali kodwa abe nobomi obungunaphakade.” (Yoh. 3:16) Mininzi imizekelo yabantu abaye baba nolwalamano oluhle noYehova. Makhe siqwalasele emibini kuyo.

3, 4. Chaza umahluko phakathi kobuhlobo buka-Abraham noYehova nobo benzala yakhe noYehova.

³ Ethetha ngosolusapho nokhokho wamaSirayeli, uYehova  wathi: ‘UAbraham umhlobo wam.’ (Isa. 41:8) Yintoni eyabangela ukuba le ndoda ithembekileyo ibe nobuhlobo obungagungqiyo noMdali wayo? Yaba lukholo lwayo.—Gen. 15:6; funda uYakobi 2:21-23.

⁴ Ekuqaleni, uYehova wayenguYise noMhlobo wenzala ka-Abraham eyaba luhlanga lukaSirayeli mandulo. Noko ke, okubuhlungu kukuba yaphulukana nabo obo buhlobo noThixo. Ngoba? Ngenxa yokuba yaphelelwa lukholo kuYehova nakwizithembiso zakhe.

5, 6. (a) Yintoni eyabangela ukuba ube ngumhlobo kaYehova? (b) Yiyiphi imibuzo esimele sizibuze yona?

⁵ Okukhona ufunda ngoYehova, kokukhona usiba nokholo ngakumbi kuye, uze umthande ngakumbi. Cinga ngemini owafumanisa ngayo ukuba uThixo unguMntu wokwenene, umntu onokuba nolwalamano olusenyongweni naye. Weva nokuba sonke sizalelwe esonweni ngenxa yokungathobeli kuka-Adam. Watsho wazi nokuba lonke uluntu lwahlukanisiwe noThixo. (Kol. 1:21) Emva koko waqonda ukuba uBawo wethu wasezulwini onothando unomdla kuthi. Sathi sakuva ngelungiselelo alenze ngedini lentlawulelo likaYesu saba nokholo kulo, satsho sazakhela ubuhlobo noThixo.

⁶ Xa sikhangela emva, simele sizibuze oku: ‘Ngaba buya buqina ubuhlobo bam noThixo? Njengokuba kusisa, ngaba ndiyamthemba yaye ndiya ndimthanda ngakumbi lo Mhlobo wam, uYehova?’ Omnye umntu owaba ngumhlobo osenyongweni kaYehova mandulo nguGidiyon. Makhe siqwalasele umzekelo wakhe omhle size sicamngce ngawo.

7-9. (a) Sisiphi isiganeko esimangalisayo esenzekayo kuGidiyon, ibe saba nawuphi umphumo kuye? (Jonga umfanekiso osekuqaleni.) (b) Yintoni enokusinceda sibe nobuhlobo noYehova?

⁷ UMgwebi uGidiyon wakhonza uYehova ngexesha elinzima kwimbali yamaSirayeli, emva nje kokuba olo hlanga lungene kwiLizwe Lesithembiso. Incwadi yaBagwebi isahluko 6 ichaza ukuba kwafika ingelosi kaYehova kuGidiyon eOfra. Ngelo xesha, amaSirayeli ayengcangcazela esoyika abamelwane bawo amaMidiyan. Ngenxa yoko, uGidiyon wayebhula ingqolowa, kungekhona ekuhleni kodwa kwisixovulelo sewayini ukuze akwazi ukuyifihla ngokukhawuleza. Emangaliswe koko kufika kwengelosi yaza yabhekisela kuye ngokuthi, “kroti elinamandla,” uGidiyon wayezibuza enoba uYehova, owahlangula amaSirayeli eYiputa wayeza kukwazi na ukuwanceda kwesi sihlandlo. Ithethela uMdali, le ngelosi yamqinisekisa uGidiyon ukuba uYehova wayeza kumxhasa.

⁸ UGidiyon wayezibuza indlela awayeza ‘kumsindisa ngayo uSirayeli esandleni samaMidiyan.’ Wafumana le mpendulo engqalileyo: “Ngenxa yokuba ndiya kuba nawe, kwaye ngokuqinisekileyo uya kumxabela uMidiyan ngokungathi ngumntu omnye.” (ABagwe. 6:11-16) Esazibuza indlela ekwakuza kwenzeka ngayo oku, uGidiyon wacela umqondiso. Phawula ukuba kule ncoko uGidiyon akayithandabuzi into yokuba uYehova unguMntu wokwenene.

⁹ Isiganeko esalandelayo salomeleza ngakumbi ukholo lukaGidiyon saza samsondeza ngakumbi kuThixo. UGidiyon walungiselela isidlo waza wasinika ingelosi. Wathi umlilo usakukutshisa ukugqibe ngendlela engummangaliso oko kutya, emva kokuchukunyiswa yintonga yengelosi, uGidiyon waqonda ukuba loo ngelosi ithunywe nguYehova ngokwenene. Othukile, uGidiyon wathi: “Awu, Nkosi enguMongami Yehova, ngenxa yokuba ndiyibonile ingelosi kaYehova ubuso ngobuso!” (ABagwe. 6:17-22) Ngaba eso siganeko salonakalisa ulwalamano lukaGidiyon noThixo? Nakanye! Lwasuka lwanochatha! UGidiyon watsho wamazi ngakumbi uYehova kangangokuba waba seluxolweni noThixo. Oku sikubona kwigama uGidiyon awathiya ngalo isibingelelo awayesenze  kuloo ndawo wathi, “yiYehova-shalom.” Elo gama lithetha ukuthi, “UYehova Uluxolo.” (Funda ABagwebi 6:23, 24.) Xa sicamngca ngezinto uYehova asenzela zona mihla le, sitsho siqonde ukuba unguMhlobo wethu wokwenene. Ukuthandaza rhoqo kusenza sibe seluxolweni ngakumbi buze nobuhlobo bethu noThixo bomelele.

10. Ngokutsho kweNdumiso 15:3, 5, yintoni ayifunayo kuthi uYehova ukuze sibe ngabahlobo bakhe?

¹⁰ Kukho izinto esimele sizenze ukuze uYehova abe nguMhlobo wethu. Njengokuba kuboniswa kwiNdumiso 15, uDavide wazichaza izinto ezifunekayo kuthi ukuze sibe ‘lundwendwe ententeni kaYehova,’ into ethetha ukuba ngumhlobo wakhe. (INdu. 15:1) Makhe siqwalasele izinto ezimbini kwezi zifunekayo—ukuphepha ukunyelisa nokunyaniseka kuyo yonke into esiyenzayo. Ethetha ngezi zinto, uDavide wathi ngomntu olundwendwe ententeni kaYehova: “Akanyelisanga ngolwimi lwakhe. . . . Akathabathanga ukunyotywa nxamnye nalowo umsulwa.”—INdu. 15:3, 5.

11. Kutheni simele sikuphephe ukunyelisa abanye?

¹¹ Kwenye indumiso uDavide walumkisa wathi: “Lulondoloze ulwimi lwakho kokubi.” (INdu. 34:13) Ukungasithobeli esi silumkiso siphefumlelweyo kuya kulonakalisa ulwalamano lwethu noBawo wasezulwini. Enyanisweni, ukunyelisa yenye yezinto oludume ngazo utshaba olukhulu lukaYehova, uSathana. Igama elithi “uMtyholi” livela kwigama lesiGrike elithetha “umnyelisi.” Ukuwabala amazwi ethu xa sithetha nabanye okanye sithetha ngabo kusigcina singabahlobo noYehova. Le yinyaniso, ngakumbi xa sicinga ngendlela esiwajonga ngayo amadoda amiselweyo ebandleni.—Funda amaHebhere 13:17; Yude 8.

12, 13. (a) Kutheni simele sinyaniseke kwizinto zonke? (b) Ukunyaniseka kwethu kunokubachaphazela njani abanye?

¹² Abakhonzi bakaYehova baziwa ngokunyaniseka. Umpostile uPawulos wathi: “Qhubekani nisithandazela, kuba siyathemba ukuba sinesazela esinyanisekileyo, njengoko sinqwenela ukuziphatha ngokunyaniseka kwizinto zonke.” (Heb. 13:18) Ekubeni sizimisele “ukuziphatha ngokunyaniseka kwizinto zonke,” siyakuphepha ukuxhaphaza abazalwana bethu. Ngokomzekelo, ukuba sibaqeshile, siyaqinisekisa ukuba sibaphatha kakuhle yaye sibambelela kwisivumelwano sethu nabo xa sibahlawula. Ekubeni singamaKristu, siyanyaniseka kubaqeshi bethu nakwabanye. Ukuba siqeshwe ngumzalwana wethu, siyaqinisekisa ukuba asimxhaphazi sifune ukuphathwa ngendlela ekhethekileyo.

¹³ Kukangaphi sisiva amazwi ombulelo abantu behlabathi abasebenzisana namaNgqina kaYehova! Ngokomzekelo, umphathi wenye inkampani enkulu waphawula ukuba amaNgqina kaYehova ayaligcina ilizwi lawo. Wathi: “Nisoloko nibambelela kwilizwi lenu.” (INdu. 15:4) Ukuziphatha ngale ndlela kusinceda sihlale singabahlobo noYehova. Ukongezelela koko, kwenza abantu bamdumise uBawo wethu wasezulwini onothando.

14, 15. Xa sishumayela, sinokubanceda njani abanye babe ngabahlobo bakaYehova?

¹⁴ Nakuba bekholelwa ukuba ukho uThixo, abantu abaninzi esidibana nabo entsimini abamgqali njengoMhlobo wabo osenyongweni. Singabanceda njani? Cinga ngemiyalelo uYesu awayinika abafundi bakhe abayi-70 xa wabathuma ngababini ukuba baye kushumayela: “Naphi na apho ningena khona endlwini yithini kuqala, ‘Ngamana le ndlu ingaba noxolo.’ Yaye ukuba umhlobo woxolo ulapho, uxolo lwenu luya kuhlala phezu  kwakhe. Kodwa ukuba akakho, luya kubuyela kuni.” (Luka 10:5, 6) Ukuba nobubele kwethu kunokutsalela abanye kwinyaniso. Oku kunokubathez’ amandla baze abo basichasayo basamkele ngeny’ imini.

¹⁵ Xa sidibana nabantu abathe zwabha kunqulo lobuxoki okanye kumasiko angqubana noko kuthethwa yiBhayibhile, sithetha nabo ngobubele. Kwiintlanganiso zethu, sibamkela ngobubele abo bakhathazwa zizinto eziqhubeka kweli hlabathi batsho babe nomdla wokufunda ngakumbi ngoThixo wethu. Imizekelo emininzi yabantu abanjalo ifumaneka kumanqaku anomxholo othi: “IBhayibhile Iyabutshintsha Ubomi Babantu.”

16. Kutshiwo njani ukuba singabahlobo bakaYehova siphinde sibe ‘ngabasebenzi abangamadlelane’ akhe?

¹⁶ Xa abantu besebenza kunye budla ngokukhula ubuhlobo babo. Bonke abo bazahlulele kuYehova banelungelo lokuba ngabahlobo bakhe baphinde babe ‘ngabasebenzi abangamadlelane’ akhe. (Funda eyoku-1 kwabaseKorinte 3:9.) Enyanisweni, njengokuba sixakeke ngumsebenzi wokushumayela nokwenza abafundi, siya siziqonda ngakumbi iimpawu ezimangalisayo zikaBawo wethu wasezulwini. Sibona indlela osinceda ngayo umoya wakhe oyingcwele ukuze sifeze olu thumo lokushumayela iindaba ezilungileyo.

17. Indlela asondla ngayo ngeLizwi lakhe kwiindibano ezincinane nezinkulu ibonisa njani ukuba uYehova unguMhlobo wethu?

¹⁷ Okukhona sizibhokoxa kumsebenzi wokwenza abafundi, kokukhona siziva sisondele kuYehova. Ngokomzekelo, siyayibona indlela uYehova aphanzisa ngayo iinzame zeentshaba ezilwa nalo msebenzi. Khawukhangele nje kwizinto eziye zenzeka kwiminyaka yakutshanje. Ngaba asikayiboni kakuhle indlela asikhokela ngayo uThixo? Siyamangaliswa xa sicinga ngendlela aqhubeka esondla ngayo ngeLizwi lakhe. Iindibano ezinkulu nezincinane zibonisa phandle ukuba uBawo wethu onothando uyaziqonda iingxaki neentswelo zethu. Kwileta eyayibhalayo ibulela indibano yesithili, enye intsapho yathi: “Ucwangciso lwayo luye lwazifikelela iintliziyo zethu. Siye sayibona indlela uYehova athanda ngayo ngamnye kuthi kwanokuba ufuna siphumelele.” Emva kokuya kwindibano yesithili ekhethekileyo eIreland, esinye isibini saseJamani sabulela ngendlela esamkelwa ngokufudumele ngayo, saza songeza sathi: “Noko ke, oyena mntu simbulela gqitha nguYehova noKumkani ammiseleyo, uYesu Kristu. Baye basimema ukuze sibe yinxalenye yesi sizwe simanyene ngokwenene. Umanyano asiyonto nje sithetha ngayo ngomlomo, kodwa yinto esiyiphilayo. Amava esiwafumene kule ndibano ikhethekileyo yaseDublin aya kuhlala esikhumbuza  ngelungelo elikhethekileyo esinalo lokukhonza kunye nani uThixo wethu omkhulu.”

18. Nguwuphi umbuzo esimele sizibuze wona ngendlela esincokola ngayo noYehova?

¹⁸ Ubuhlobo buyaqina xa abantu bencokola. Namhlanje abantu abapheli kwi-Intanethi bencokola nabanye. Kodwa thina sincokola kangakanani noMhlobo wethu osenyongweni, uYehova? Yinyaniso ukuba, ‘unguMphulaphuli wemithandazo.’ (INdu. 65:2) Kodwa ngaba sihlala sithandaza kuye?

19. Luluphi uncedo esilufumanayo xa kunzima ukuzityand’ igila kuBawo wethu wasezulwini?

¹⁹ Kwabanye abakhonzi bakaThixo kuba nzima ukuvula iintliziyo zabo ukuze bakhuphe imbilini yabo. Ukanti, yiloo nto kanye uYehova ayifunayo kuthi xa sithandaza. (INdu. 119:145; IZili. 3:41) Kwanokuba sekunzima ukuzityand’ igila, sinaye umncedi. UPawulos wathi kumaKristu aseRoma: “Ingxaki esifanele siyithandazele njengoko kuyimfuneko asiyazi, kodwa umoya ngokwawo uyasibongozela ngokugcuma okungathethekiyo. Ukanti yena lowo uphengulula iintliziyo uyakwazi oko kuthethwa ngumoya, ngenxa yokuba ubongozela abo bangcwele kuThixo.” (Roma 8:26, 27) Ukucamngca kwethu ngamazwi akwiincwadi zeBhayibhile ezifana nekaYobhi, iiNdumiso neMizekeliso kuya kusinceda sikhuphe imbilini neemvakalelo zethu kuYehova.

20, 21. Asithuthuzela njani amazwi kaPawulos akweyabaseFilipi 4:6, 7?

²⁰ Xa kukho iimeko ezisicinezelayo, simele sithobele icebiso eliphefumlelweyo elanikwa amaKristu aseFilipi nguPawulos esithi: “Musani ukuxhalela nantoni na, kodwa ezintweni zonke zaziseni izibongozo zenu kuThixo ngomthandazo nesikhungo nombulelo.” Ukuzityand’ igila ngolo hlobo xa sincokola nalo Mhlobo wethu usenyongweni kuya kusithuthuzela kuze kusomeleze, kuba uPawulos wongeza wathi: “Uxolo lukaThixo olungaphaya kokuqonda luya kuzilinda iintliziyo zenu namandla enu engqondo ngoKristu Yesu.” (Fil. 4:6, 7) Ngamana singasoloko siluxabisa “uxolo lukaThixo” ozilinda ngokwenene iintliziyo neengqondo zethu.

²¹ Umthandazo usinceda sibe ngabahlobo noYehova. Ngoko ke, simele ‘sithandaze ngokungapheziyo.’ (1 Tes. 5:17) Akwaba izinto esizifunde apha zingasinceda siluxabise ngakumbi ulwalamano esinalo noThixo size sizimisele ukuphila ngemilinganiselo yakhe yobulungisa. Masiziphe ixesha lokucamngca ngeentsikelelo esizifumana ngenxa yokuba uYehova enguBawo wethu, uThixo wethu noMhlobo wethu wokwenene.