1, 2. (a) Abantu bahlangana laziphi izinhlupho lamuhla njalo zibangelani? (b) Yisiphi isithembiso esisithola ku-Isaya 41:10, 13?

OMUNYE udade oliphayona lesikhathi sonke futhi olomkakhe ongumdala webandla uthi: “Lanxa ngikwenza konke okumele ngikwenze ekukhonzeni, sengileminyaka eminengi ngihlutshwa yikukhathazeka. Kwenza ngingabuquthi ubuthongo, ngihlale ngingogulayo njalo ngibelukhuni kwabanye. Kwezinye izikhathi kuyakuthi ngikhalale impilo ngidinge igodi engingacatsha kulo.”

² Kumele ukuthi uyamzwisisa udadewethu lo. Phela siphila emhlabeni obuswa nguSathane njalo sihlangana lezinto ezinengi ezingabangela ukuthi sihlale sidanile futhi siphele amandla. Ukukhathazeka ngalindlela kuyamcakisa umuntu ehluleke ukwenza loba yini. (Zaga. 12:25) Zinengi izinto ezingabangela ukuthi umuntu akhathazeke. Kungaba yikufelwa, ukuhlaselwa ngumkhuhlane, ubunzima bokondla imuli kulezi zinsuku zokucina kumbe ukuphikiswa ngenxa yokuthi unguFakazi kaJehova. Ukukhathazeka ngakho konke lokhu kungakuqeda amandla. Kungabangela lokuthi uhlale ungachelesanga. Lanxa kunjalo kumele ube leqiniso lokuthi uNkulunkulu uzimisele ukukuncedisa.—Bala u-Isaya 41:10, 13.

3, 4. (a) IBhayibhili liyabe lisitshoni nxa lisebenzisa ibala elithi “izandla”? (b) Kuyini okungabangela ukuthi izandla zethu zibe buthakathaka?

³ EBhayibhilini kwandise ukusetshenziswa izitho zomzimba nxa  kuchazwa ubuntu obuthile loba izenzo. Esinye isitho somzimba esiqanjwa kakhulu yisandla. Ngokwesibonelo iBhayibhili likhuluma ngokuqiniswa izandla. Lokhu kungatsho ukukhuthazwa loba ukunikwa amandla ukuze wenelise ukwenza okuthile. (1 Sam. 23:16) Kanti njalo kungatsho ukuhlaliseka engqondweni kanye lokuba lethemba ngekusasa.

⁴ Kodwa ngezinye izikhathi iBhayibhili likhuluma ngokuyekethisa izandla loba ukwenza izandla zibe buthakathaka nxa lichaza ukuphela amandla loba ukungabi lethemba. (2 ImiLan. 15:7; Heb. 12:12) Umuntu onjalo wandise ukukhalala masinyane. Manje ungenzani nxa usesimeni esikwenza ukhathazeke, uphele amandla, udane loba mhlawumbe esesikuphambanisa ekukhonzeni uJehova? Kuyini okungakusiza ukuthi ubekezele njalo uthokoze?

5. (a) Sandise ukwenzani nxa singaba phakathi kohlupho kodwa kuyini okumele sikukhumbule? (b) Sizaxoxa ngani?

⁵ Bala uZefaniya 3:16, 17. Kujayelekile ukuthi singaba phakathi kohlupho sesabe loba sidane. Akumelanga sikuvumele lokhu ukuthi kwenze izandla zethu zibe buthakathaka. Okumele sikwenze yikwethula ‘konke ukukhathazeka kwethu’ kuJehova uBaba wethu osikhathalelayo ngoba lokhu yikho asicela ukuthi sikwenze nxa sisebunzimeni. (1 Phet. 5:7) Kumele sikhumbule amazwi aduduzayo uNkulunkulu awatshela ama-Israyeli. Wawatshela ukuthi ingalo yakhe kayimfitshane ukuba isindise izinceku zakhe eziqotho. (Isaya. 59:1) Sizaxoxa ngezibonelo ezintathu eziseBhayibhilini ezitshengisa ukuthi uJehova uzimisele ukubaqinisa abantu bakhe ukuze benelise ukwenza intando yakhe lanxa besebunzimeni. Sithemba izibonelo lezi zizakuqinisa.

6, 7. Ukunqoba kwama-Israyeli ngesikhathi esilwa lama-Amaleki kungasifundisani?

⁶ Kwathi abako-Israyeli besanda nje kuphuma eGibhithe bahlaselwa ngama-Amaleki. UMosi wathuma uJoshuwa ukuthi aqoqe amabutho ayeqondana laso isitha. UMosi yena wathatha u-Aroni loHuri bakhwela phezu koqaqa olwalubucwadlana lalapho okwakutshisa khona impi. Yibugwala yini obenza amadoda la akhwela phezu koqaqa? Hatshi.

⁷ UMosi wabumba icebo elithile futhi yilo elabenza banqoba empini le. Waphakamisa izandla zakhe ethwele intonga kaNkulunkulu weqiniso. Kwakusithi nxa izandla zikaMosi ziphezulu, uJehova wayeqinisa abako-Israyeli futhi babewathaphuza ama-Amaleki. Kodwa kwakusithi nxa izandla zakhe zingadinwa zibe buthakathaka, ama-Amaleki ayebakhulela. Kwathi u-Aroni loHuri bekubona lokhu, “bathatha ilitshe balifaka ngaphansi kwakhe wasehlala phezu kwalo. U-Aroni loHuri baphakamisa izandla zakhe—omunye ekuleli icele omunye kwelinye—ukuze izandla zakhe zale ziphakeme lize litshone ilanga.” Abako-Israyeli banqoba sibili empini le ngenxa yokuthi uNkulunkulu wabasekela ngesandla sakhe esilamandla.—Eks. 17:8-13.

8. (a) U-Asa wenzani ngesikhathi amaKhushi efuna ukuhlasela abako-Juda? (b) Singayilingisela njani indlela u-Asa athembela ngayo kuNkulunkulu?

⁸ UJehova watshengisa lokuthi ingalo yakhe kayimfitshane ngesikhathi kubusa iNkosi u-Asa. Manengi amaviyo amabutho ayeqoqelwe ukuyakulwa izimpi okukhulunywa ngawo eBhayibhilini, kodwa elikhulu kulawo wonke ngelikaZera uMkhushi. Indoda le yayilamasotsha angu-1 miliyoni ayezingwazi njalo isotsha elilodwa lika-Asa kwakumele liqondane lamasotsha amabili. Kwakungaba lula kakhulu ukuthi u-Asa abanjwe ngumhedehede njalo akhathazeke kumbe avumele izandla zakhe zibe buthakathaka. Kodwa wahle wathandaza kuJehova  ecela ukuthi amncedise. Ngokubona kwabantu u-Asa wayengeke alinqobe ibutho leli elikhulu kangaka. Kodwa-ke “kuNkulunkulu zonke izinto ziyenzeka.” (Mat. 19:26) UNkulunkulu wasebenzisa amandla akhe amakhulu ‘wawabhuqa amaKhushi phambi kuka-Asa’ ngoba wayenamathele kuye ngenhliziyo yonke.—2 ImiLan. 14:8-13; 1 AmaKho. 15:14.

9. (a) Kuyini okungazange kuvimbele uNehemiya ukuthi akhe imiduli yeJerusalema? (b) UNkulunkulu wawuphendula njani umthandazo kaNehemiya?

⁹ Kumele ukuthi uNehemiya wezwa ubuhlungu lapho ethola abantu sebewutshiyile umsebenzi wokwakha imiduli yeJerusalema. Ukusongelwa yizitha kwasekwenze amaJuda aphela amandla. UNehemiya wakuvumela yini lokhu ukuthi kumenze abe buthakathaka ezandleni? Hatshi! Wabambelela kuJehova njengoMosi, u-Asa kanye labanye abantu ababethembekile. Ngakho langesikhathi ethola izinto zingasahambi kuhle eJerusalema wathandaza kuJehova. Lanxa amaJuda ayesecabanga ukuthi kwakungaselantuba yokuphuma kulolohlupho, uJehova wawuphendula umthandazo kaNehemiya. Wasebenzisa ‘amandla akhe amakhulu’ ‘lesandla sakhe esilamandla’ ukuze aqinise amaJuda. (Bala uNehemiya 1:10; 2:17-20; 6:9.) Lalamuhla uJehova uyawasebenzisa ‘amandla akhe amakhulu’ ‘lesandla sakhe esilamandla’ ukuze aqinise izinceku zakhe. Wena uyakukholwa yini lokhu?

10, 11. (a) USathane usebenzisani ukuze enze izandla zethu zibe buthakathaka? (b) UJehova usebenzisani ukuze asinike amandla njalo asiqinise? (c) Ikuncede njani imfundo kanye lokuqeqetshwa okuthole enhlanganisweni?

¹⁰ USathane usebenza imini lobusuku ukuze alwisane lakho konke esikwenzayo ekukhonzeni uJehova. Ulwa lathi esebenzisa izindlela ezitshiyeneyo ezigoqela ukuqanjelwa amanga lokwethuselwa ngohulumende, abafundisi bamasonto labahlamuki. Inhloso yakhe yikwenza ukuthi izandla zethu zibe buthakathaka singasatshiseki emsebenzini wokutshumayela izindaba ezinhle zoMbuso. Lanxa kunjalo kumele sikhumbule ukuthi uJehova uzimisele ukusinika umoya wakhe ongcwele ukuze asiqinise. (1 ImiLan. 29:12) Kuqakathekile ukuthi siwucele ukuze usiphathise senelise ukulwisana laloba yiluphi uhlupho uSathane angasiphosela lona. (Hubo. 18:39; 1 Khor. 10:13) Kanti njalo uNkulunkulu usinike iLizwi lakhe eliphefumulelweyo kanye lenhlanganiso yakhe esifundisayo nyanga zonke. Amazwi aku-Zekhariya 8:9, 13 (bala) akhulunywa ngesikhathi kusakhiwa kutsha ithempeli eJerusalema futhi ayasikhuthaza lathi lamuhla.

¹¹ Okunye okusiqinisayo yimfundo esiyithola emihlanganweni yebandla, emihlanganweni yeziqinti leyezabelo. Enye njalo imfundo itholakala ezikolo ezitshiyeneyo eziqhutshwa yinhlanganiso yethu. Imfundo le iyasinceda ukuthi singapheli amandla, sihlele esifuna ukukwenza enkonzweni njalo siphumelele ukwenza yonke imisebenzi esiyiphiwayo. (Hubo. 119:32) Nxa ungakusebenzisa konke lokhu esikuphiwa nguJehova uzahlala uqinile ekukhonzeni.

12. Kuyini okumele sikwenze ukuze sihlale siqinile ekukhonzeni?

¹² UJehova wasiza ama-Israyeli ukuthi anqobe ama-Amaleki lamaKhushi njalo wanika uNehemiya labanye bakhe amandla ukuze benelise ukuwuqeda umsebenzi wokwakha kutsha imiduli yeJerusalema. Lathi uNkulunkulu uzasinika amandla okulwisana lokuhlukuluzwa, ukuzondwa kanye lokukhathazeka ukuze siqhubekele phambili ngomsebenzi wokutshumayela. (1 Phet. 5:10) Kodwa kasilindelanga ukuthi uJehova asenzele izimangaliso, kulokuthile okufanele sikwenze. Kumele sibale iLizwi likaNkulunkulu nsuku zonke, silungiselele imihlangano njalo siyingene maviki wonke,  sibe lesikhathi sokufunda sisodwa lesokukhonza kwemuli futhi sikhuleke kokuphela kuJehova. Akumelanga sivumele ukuthi ezinye izinto zisiphambanise ekwenzeni konke lokhu ngoba yikho uJehova akusebenzisayo ukuze asiqinise. Nxa kukhona ongasakwenzi kuhle ezintweni lezi esiziqambe phezulu, thandaza kuNkulunkulu ucele ukuthi akusize. Ungenza njalo uzabona ukuthi umoya wakhe ongcwele ‘uzasebenza phakathi kwakho’ ukwenze ‘ufune njalo wenze okumthokozisayo.’ (Flp. 2:13) Manje kuyini ongakwenza ukuze uqinise abanye?

13, 14. (a) Omunye umfowethu waqiniswa njani ngemva kokufelwa ngumkakhe? (b) Yiziphi izindlela esingaqinisa ngazo abanye?

¹³ UJehova usidonsele enhlanganisweni yakhe elabazalwane abasikhathalelayo futhi abangasikhuthaza. Khumbula ukuthi umphostoli uPhawuli wabhala wathi: ‘Qinisani izingalo ezibuthakathaka lamadolo axegayo. Yenzelani izinyawo zenu izindlela ezibekekileyo.’ (Heb. 12:12, 13) AmaKhristu ekhulu lokuqala ayekuthola ukuqiniswa lokhu. Lalamuhla abanye esikhonza labo bayasiqinisa. Ngokwesibonelo omunye umfowethu wafelwa ngumkakhe futhi ngemva kwalokho wehlelwa ngezinye izinhlupho ezazinzima kakhulu. Uthi: “Sengafunda ukuthi asizikhetheli izilingo esihlangana lazo futhi asizikhetheli ukuthi sifuna zibuye nini lokuthi zibuye kangaki.” Lanxa kunjalo ubika ukuthi ukuthandaza lokutaditsha kwamnceda ukuthi enelise ukuhlala eqinile ngesikhathi esebunzimeni. Okunye okwamduduza kakhulu yikusekelwa ngabafowethu labodadewethu ebandleni. Uthi sewakubona sibili ukuthi ukuhlala ulobuhlobo obuqinileyo loJehova kuqakatheke kakhulu njalo kuyanceda nxa usuphakathi kohlupho.

¹⁴ Sibonile ukuthi u-Aroni loHuri bamsekela uMosi ngokuphakamisa izandla zakhe ngesikhathi esediniwe. Ngakho lathi kumele sidinge izindlela ezitshiyeneyo esingasekela ngazo abanye njalo sibaqinise. Lokhu singakwenza kubazalwane bethu abathwele nzima ngenxa yokuguga, ukugula, ukuphikiswa ngabanye emulini, ukudana loba ukufelwa. Abanye esingabakhuthaza ngabasakhulayo abathwele qatha ngenxa yokuyengwa ngabakhula babo ukuthi benze izinto ezimbi loba ukuthi baqakathekise imfundo, imali kumbe ezemidlalo ukwedlula ukukhonza uJehova. (1 Thes. 3:1-3; 5:11, 14) Okunye ongakwenza yikudinga izindlela ongaqinisa ngazo abanye nxa liseWolu yoMbuso, ekutshumayeleni, likwejisile loba nxa lixoxa ngefoni.

15. Amazwi ethu akhuthazayo angabanceda njani abanye ebandleni?

¹⁵ Ngemva kokunqoba kuka-Asa, umphrofethi u-Azariya wakhuthaza inkosi le labantu bayo wathi: “Kodwa wena, qina ungayekethisi, ngoba owakho umsebenzi uzakuba lomvuzo.” (2 ImiLan. 15:7) Amazwi la amqinisa u-Asa ngoba esuka lapho walungisa izinto ezinengi ukuze abuyisele ukukhonza kweqiniso elizweni. Lawethu amazwi akhuthazayo angabaqinisa sibili abanye. Angabanceda ukuthi baqhubekele phambili bekhonza uJehova ngenhliziyo yonke. (Zaga. 15:23) Kanti njalo ukuphendula emihlanganweni yebandla kungabaqinisa abanye, yikho ungayekeli ukukwenza lokhu.

16. Abadala bangamlingisela njani uNehemiya? Nika izibonelo ezitshengisa ukuthi abanye ebandleni bakuqinise njani.

¹⁶ UNehemiya labanye bakhe benelisa ukuwuqeda umsebenzi ngoba uJehova waziqinisa izandla zabo. Ngezinsuku ezingu-52 basebeqedile ukwakha imiduli yeJerusalema. (Neh. 2:18; 6:15, 16) UNehemiya kazange agoqe izandla abukele abantu besebenza. Kodwa wayencedisana labo umsebenzi waze waphela. (Neh. 5:16) Abadala abanengi lamuhla bayamlingisela  uNehemiya. Ngokwesibonelo bayancedisa emsebenzini wokwakha owenziwa yinhlanganiso yethu kumbe emsebenzini wokuhlanza lokunakekela amaWolu oMbuso abangena kuwo. Bayabaqinisa abamemezeli abalezandla ezibuthakathaka labalenhliziyo ezilokwesaba ngokuhamba labo ekutshumayeleni langokubavakatshela emizini yabo besiyabakhuthaza.—Bala u-Isaya 35:3, 4.

17, 18. Kuyini okumele sikukhumbule nxa singaba phakathi kwezinhlupho?

¹⁷ Ukukhonza ndawonye labafowethu labodadewethu kwenza simanyane. Kwenza lokuthi sibe ngabangane futhi kuyaluqinisa ukholo lwethu ezithembisweni zikaNkulunkulu. Nxa siqinisa izandla zabanye, siyabe sibanceda ukuthi bame baqine nxa besebunzimeni lokuthi bahlale belethemba. Kanti njalo ukuqinisa abanye kwenza lathi singaphumi endleleni eyiyo futhi sigcine amehlo ethu ethe nhlo kulokho uNkulunkulu asithembisa khona. Kwenza lezethu izandla zihlale ziqinile sibili.

¹⁸ Kunengi esikufundayo eBhayibhilini mayelana lendlela uJehova ayesekela ngayo abantu bakhe futhi ebavikela. Ukufunda ngezibonelo lezi kuyaluqinisa ukholo lwethu njalo kwenza simethembe uNkulunkulu. Yikho nxa ungaba phakathi kohlupho, “ungavumeli ukuba izandla zakho zibe buthakathaka”! Kodwa khuleka kuJehova futhi umvumele ukuthi akuqinise njalo akukhokhele uze uyengena emhlabeni omutsha.—Hubo. 73:23, 24.