Ithemba Leqiniso

AKE SITHI iwatshi yakho isifile futhi ufuna ukuyilungisa. Kulabantu abanengi abalungisa amawatshi obaziyo. Ngamunye wabo uthi uyingcitshi futhi bonke balemibono etshiyeneyo ngokuthi kuyini okumele kulungiswe. Kodwa uzakwenzani ungathola ukuthi umakhelwane wakho nguye owenza iwatshi leyo lokuthi ufuna ukukulungisela yona mahala? Akuthandabuzwa ukuthi ungahle umnike ayilungise.

Ake sifananise iwatshi le lethemba. Nxa usuphelelwa lithemba ezikhathini lezi ezinzima, uzaqonda ngaphi? Abantu abanengi bangazitshela ukuthi bazingcitshi zokuncedisa abantu asebephelelwa lithemba, kodwa abazakutshela khona kungakutshiya ungasakwazi ukuthi okuyikho yikuphi. Akungcono yini ukuthi uhle uqonde kuNkulunkulu onguye owadala abantu wabenza benelisa ukuba lethemba? IBhayibhili lithi ‘kakhatshana komunye lomunye wethu’ futhi uyafuna ukusincedisa.—ImiSebenzi 17:27; 1 UPhetro 5:7.

IBhayibhili Lithini Ngethemba?

IBhayibhili likhuluma okunengi kakhulu ngethemba ukwedlula lokho okukhulunywa ngabanye odokotela, abezesayensi lalabo abahlola ukusebenza kwengqondo yomuntu. Ibala elihunyutshwe ngokuthi “ithemba” eBhayibhilini litsho ukulindela ngabomvu kumbe ukukhangelela okuhle. Singathi ithemba libunjwa yizinto ezimbili. Okokuqala yikufisa into enhle njalo okwesibili yikuba lesizatho sokukholwa ukuthi leyonto izakwenzakala. Ithemba okukhulunywa ngalo eBhayibhilini asondaba yokuphonguthatheka nje kodwa ligoqela ukuba lobufakazi obubambekayo lezizatho eziqinileyo zokuthi leyonto izakuba njalo.

Ithemba lihambelana lokholo ngoba ukuba lokholo lakho asokuphonguthatheka nje. (KumaHebheru 11:1) Lanxa kunjalo, iBhayibhili lenza kukhanye ukuthi amabala la atsho izinto ezitshiyeneyo.—1 KwabaseKhorinte 13:13.

Ngokwesibonelo, nxa ungacela umngane wakho ukuthi akuncede ngokuthile uyabe ulethemba lokuthi uzakwenza njalo. Okwenza umthembe yikuthi uyamkholwa ngoba useke wakuncedisa kokunye. Isibonelo lesi sitshengisa ukuhambelana kwethemba lokholo lanxa amabala la esitsho izinto ezitshiyeneyo. Manje kuyini okungenza umthembe kakhulu uNkulunkulu?

Okungenza Ube Lethemba

UNkulunkulu nguye ongasinceda ukuthi sibe lethemba. Endulo uJehova wayebizwa ngokuthi ‘liThemba lika-Israyeli.’ (UJeremiya 14:8) Wayelithemba labo ngoba wayengasoze abadanise loba sekutheni abantu bakhe. Kodwa ithemba lelo lalingasosifiso nje ababelaso esasizaphelela emoyeni. Okwenza bamthemba uNkulunkulu yikuthi kunengi ayebenzele khona futhi wayegcwalisa zonke izithembiso zakhe. UJoshuwa watshela ama-Israyeli wathi: “Liyazi . . . ukuthi kasikho isithembiso lasinye esihle phakathi kwalezo elazinikwa nguJehova uNkulunkulu wenu esehlulekayo.”—UJoshuwa 23:14.

Lalamuhla uNkulunkulu ulokhe egcwalisa izithembiso azenzayo. IBhayibhili lisitshela ngezithembiso ezinengi uNkulunkulu ayezenza lokuthi zagcwaliseka njani. Ezinengi zakhona ziyisiphrofetho futhi zabhalwa angathi sezenzakele.

Ngakho singathi iBhayibhili libhuku elenza sibe lethemba. Nxa ungafunda ngalokho uNkulunkulu ayekwenzela abantu kudala, uzakuba lezizatho ezinengi zokumthemba. Umphostoli uPhawuli wabhala wathi: “Zonke izinto ezabhalwa kudala zabhalelwa ukuthi kufundiswe thina. Lokhu kwenza ukuthi sibe lethemba ngoba iMibhalo le isinceda ukuthi siqinisele njalo iyasiduduza.”—KwabaseRoma 15:4.

Yiliphi Ithemba Esiliphiwa NguNkulunkulu?

Siyalidinga sibili ithemba ikakhulu nxa singafelwa. Abantu abanengi bahle baphelelwe lithemba nxa bangafelwa ngumuntu abamthandayo. Asingeke sikubalekele ukufa njalo akulanto esingayenza ukuze sikuqede. Yikho iBhayibhili lize libize ukufa ngokuthi ‘yisitha sokucina.’—1 KwabaseKhorinte 15:26.

Manje kuyini okungenza sihlale silethemba nxa sesikhangelane lokufa? IBhayibhili liphinda lithi isitha lesi ‘sizatshabalaliswa.’ UJehova uNkulunkulu ulamandla okuqeda ukufa njalo wake watshengisa ukuthi ulawo amandla la endulo. IBhayibhili likhuluma ngezikhathi ezingu-9 lapho uNkulunkulu asebenzisa khona amandla akhe ukuvusa abafileyo.

Ngokwesibonelo, uJehova wanika iNdodana yakhe uJesu amandla okuthi avuse uLazaro owayeselamalanga amane efile. UJesu wakwenza lokhu abantu bekhangele.—UJohane 11:38-48, 53; 12: 9, 10.

Mhlawumbe uyazibuza ukuthi bavuselwani labobantu njengoba baguga baphinda bafa. Ukuvuswa kwabo kwenza lathi singathandabuzi ukuthi sizaphinda sibabone abantu esibathandayo abafayo. Yikho ithemba lokuthi abafileyo bazavuswa asosifiso nje esizaphelela emoyeni.

UJesu wathi: “Ngiyikuvuka kwabafileyo lokuphila.” (UJohane 11:25) UJehova uzasebenzisa uJesu ukuthi avuse abantu abafileyo. UJesu waphinda wathi: “Isikhathi siyeza lapho bonke abasemathuneni abazalizwa khona ilizwi [likaKhristu] baphume.” (UJohane 5:28, 29) Bonke abasemathuneni bazavuswa baphile emhlabeni olipharadayisi.

Umphrofethi u-Isaya yena wathi: “Abafileyo bakho bazaphila, imizimba yabo izavuka. Lina elihlala othulini, vukani lihlabelele ngentokozo. Amazolo enu afana lamazolo ekuseni; umhlaba uzabaveza abafileyo bawo.”—U-Isaya 26:19.

Lokhu kuyaduduza sibili. Abafileyo banjengomntwana ongakazalwa, ovikelekileyo esiswini sikanina. UNkulunkulu uSomandla kasoze abakhohlwe abasemathuneni. (ULukha 20:37, 38) Sekuseduze ukuthi sibamukele emhlabeni ozabe usulipharadayisi ngendlela umntwana osanda kuzalwa owamukelwa ngayo ngabangakibo! Ngakho nxa usukhangelane lokufa, hlala ukhumbula ukuthi likhona ithemba lokuthi uzaphinda uphile.

Ukuba Lethemba Kuzakunceda Njani?

Okwakhulunywa nguPhawuli kusifundisa okunengi ngokuqakatheka kwethemba. Wafanisa ithemba lengwane yokuzivikela empini. (1 KwabaseThesalonika 5:8) Wayesitshoni? Endulo isotsha laligqoka ingwane yensimbi nxa lisiyakulwa ukuze lizivikele njalo kwezinye izikhathi laliyigqoka phezu kwengwane yesikhumba. Ingwane le yayiqakathekile ngoba yayivikela isotsha ukuthi lingalimali ikhanda. UPhawuli wayesithi ukuba lethemba kuvikela ingqondo njengoba nje ingwane ivikela ikhanda. Nxa ungahlala ulethemba lokuthi uNkulunkulu uzakwenza lokho asithembisa khona, awusoze ukhathazeke kakhulu ngesikhathi uhlangana lenhlupho. Kuqakathekile sibili ukuthi sibe layo ingwane le yokuzivikela.

UPhawuli waphinda wasebenzisa omunye umzekeliso ukuze achasise ukuqakatheka kokuba lethemba. Wabhala wathi: “Ithemba leli liyisikhonkwane semiphefumulo yethu, liyasinceda ukuthi singathandabuzi futhi siqine.” (KumaHebheru 6:19) UPhawuli wayekwazi ukuqakatheka kwesikhonkwane ngoba wayeke wabhidlikelwa ngumkhumbi. Nxa sokube lesiphepho kwakusehliswa isikhonkwane somkhumbi elwandle ukuze umkhumbi ungaphetshulwa ngumoya uze ucine usiyatshayelela ematsheni asekhunjini.

Ukuthemba uNkulunkulu kwenza “singathandabuzi futhi siqine” ikakhulu nxa siphakathi kobunzima. UJehova uthembisa ukuthi sekuseduze ukuthi aqede izimpi, ubugebenga, ubuhlungu kanye lokufa. (Khangela ibhokisi elisekhasini 10.) Ukubambelela ethembeni esilalo kuzasinceda sizimisele ukuphila ngemithetho kaNkulunkulu kulokuthi sithatheke ngalokho okwenziwa ngabantu abenza izinto ezimbi.

UJehova ufuna uyikholise impilo yikho ekunika ithemba. Intando yakhe yikuthi “yonke imihlobo yabantu isindiswe.” Kodwa kumele wenzeni ukuze usindiswe? Kufanele ‘uthole ulwazi oluqondileyo lweqiniso.’ (1 KuThimothi 2:4) Sicela uzinike isikhathi sokuthola ulwazi lolu oluseLizwini likaNkulunkulu ngoba luzakunceda ukuthi uthole ukuphila okuphakade. Ulwazi lolo luzakwenza ube lethemba ongeke ulithole loba ngaphi.

Nxa ulethemba awusoze uthandabuze ukuthi uNkulunkulu uzakupha amandla okwenza loba yini ongabe uhlele ukuyenza evumelana lentando yakhe. (2 KwabaseKhorinte 4:7; KwabaseFiliphi 4:13) Kambe ayisilo yini ithemba olifunayo leli? Nxa ubusuphelelwa lithemba, sebenzisa esixoxe ngakho ukuze uphinde ube lalo!

 [Umfanekiso osekhasini 10]

Izizatho Zokuba Lethemba

Amavesi alandelayo angakunceda ukuthi ube lethemba:

▪ UNkulunkulu ukuthembisa impilo enhle ngesikhathi esizayo.

ILizwi lakhe lithi umhlaba uzakuba lipharadayisi futhi kuzabe kuhlala abantu abathokozayo labamanyeneyo.—IHubo 37:11, 29; U-Isaya 25:8; ISambulo 21:3, 4.

▪ UNkulunkulu ngeke aqambe amanga.

Uyawazonda amanga lanxa engakhanya emancane. UJehova ungcwele, okutsho ukuthi kalasici. Ngakho ngeke kwenzakale ukuthi aqambe amanga.—IZaga 6:16-19; U-Isaya 6:2, 3; KuThithusi 1:2; KumaHebheru 6:18.

▪ UNkulunkulu ulamandla amakhulu.

UJehova nguye yedwa uSomandla. Akulalutho olungamvimba ukuthi agcwalise izithembiso zakhe.—U-Eksodusi 15:11; U-Isaya 40:25, 26.

▪ UNkulunkulu ufuna uphile kuze kube nini lanini.

—UJohane 3:16; 1 KuThimothi 2:3, 4.

▪ UNkulunkulu ubona okuhle esikwenzayo.

Ukhangela okuhle esikwenzayo, hatshi esikuphambanisayo. (IHubo 103:12-14; 130:3; KumaHebheru 6:10) Ulethemba lokuthi sizakwenza okuqondileyo futhi nxa sisenza njalo siyabe simthokozisa.—IZaga 27:11.

▪ UNkulunkulu uzakuncedisa ukuthi wenelise ukwenza okuhlelileyo ekumkhonzeni.

Uyabancedisa abantu bakhe esebenzisa umoya wakhe ongcwele.—KwabaseFiliphi 4:13.

▪ UNkulunkulu kasoze akubambise ilitshe.

Kasoze akulahlise loba sekutheni ngoba uthembekile kukho konke akwenzayo.—IHubo 25:3.

 [Umfanekiso osekhasini 12]

Ukuba lethemba kuvikela ingqondo njengoba nje ingwane yensimbi ivikela ikhanda

[Umfanekiso osekhasini 12]

Njengoba nje isikhonkwane sinceda ukuthi umkhumbi ungaphetshulwa ngumoya nxa kulesiphepho, ithemba eliqinileyo lingakunceda ukuthi uhlaliseke nxa usebunzimeni

[Credit Line]

Courtesy René Seindal/Su concessione del Museo Archeologico Regionale A. Salinas di Palermo