Singalifumanaphi Ithemba Lamambala?

IWATJHAKHO ijamile ayisasebenzi, kubonakala ngasuthi iphukile. Nakuziwa endabeni yokuyoyilungisisa, awa uneendawo ezinengi ongaya kizo. Imikhangiso yokulungiswa kwamawatjhi minengi, yoke iyazikhakhazisa ngokuthi iyakwazi ukuwalungisa, eminye nokho ayithembisi kuhle. Kuthiwani nawufumana ukuthi umakhelwanakho nguye owenza iwatjhi oyimbetheko leyo eminyakeni edlulileko? Ngaphezu kwalokho, ufumene ukuthi uzimisele ukukusiza simahla. Bekungaba lula ukuthi ukhethe yena, akusinjalo?

Nje-ke, akhumadanise iwatjhakho nethemba. Nawubona ukuthi uphelelwa lithemba njengabantu abanengi eenkhathini ezibudisezi, uzokuya kuphi bona ufumane isizo? Abantu abanengi bathi bona bayakghona ukurarulula imiraro kodwana iimphakamiso zabo ziyarara begodu ezinye zazo azithembisi. Yeke, kubayini ungaphendukeli kiloyo owadala abantu wabenza babanethemba? IBhayibheli lithi, ‘akasikude komunye nomunye wethu.’ Begodu uzimisele ukusisiza.—IzEnzo 17:27; 1 Pitrosi 5:7.

Ihlathululo Engeneleleko Yethemba

Umbono weBhayibheli ngethemba uvulekile begodu unembile kunalo ojayekileko kibodorhodere, abososayensi nabodorhodere bomkhumbulo. Amagama wokuthoma weBhayibheli ahlathulula “ithemba” atjho ukulinda ngokululukela nokulindela okuhle. Kuhlekuhle, ithemba lakhiwa zizinto ezimbili. Lifaka hlangana isifiso sokwenza into ehle kunye nesisekelo sokukholelwa ukuthi lokho kuzokwenzeka. Ithemba esilinikelwa yiBhayibheli akusi sifiso nje kwaphela esisicabangako. Lisekelwe eqinisweni nebufakazini obuphathekako.

Yeke, ithemba lifana nokukholwa, okusekelwe ebufakazini ingasi ekukhohlisekeni. (Hebheru 11:1) Nanyana kunjalo, iBhayibheli lenza umahluko hlangana kokukholwa nethemba.—1 Korinte 13:13.

Akhesifanekise: Nawubawa umnganakho omkhulu bona akusize, unethemba lokuthi uzokusiza. Ithemba onalo lisekelwe ebufakazini obuthileko ngombana uyakholwa ukuthi umnganakho uzokusiza, umazi kuhle begodu khewambona atjengisa umusa nokupha esikhathini esidlulileko. Ukukholwa kwakho nethemba kuyakhambisana, nanyana ziyirhara nomncamo, zihlukile. Kghani ungaba njani nethemba elinjalo kuZimu?

Isisekelo Sethemba

UZimu umthombo wethemba. Eenkhathini zeBhayibheli, uJehova bekabizwa ngokuthi ‘lithemba laka-Israyeli.’ (Joromiya 14:8) Ithemba abantu bakhe ebebanalo belivela kuye, ngaphezu kwalokho, bekalithemba labo. Ithemba elinjalo khenge lifezwe mcabango neemfiso. UZimu wabanikela isisekelo esiqinileko sethemba. Njengombana bekasebenzelana nabo eminyakeni emakhulu eyadlulako, bekenza iinthembiso begodu azizalisekisa. Umrholabo uJotjhuwa wathi kuma-Israyeli: “Nazi kuhle ukuthi alikho nalinye ilizwi kizo zoke iinthembiso ezihle uJehova uZimenu azikhulume kini elingazange liphumelele.”—Jotjhuwa 23:14.

Sekudlule iminyaka eziinkulungwana, umlandwakhe lo usajamile. IBhayibheli lizele iinthembiso ezikarisako zakaZimu kunye nemilando enembileko yokuzaliseka kwazo. Iinthembiso zakhe ezisiphorofido zithembekile kangangokuthi ngezinye iinkhathi kuba ngasuthi zatlolwa ngemva kokuzaliseka.

Kungebangelo singathi iBhayibheli yincwadi yethemba. Njengombana ufunda ngeendlela uZimu asebenzelana ngazo nabantu ekadeni, iinzathu zakho zokumthemba zizokukhula begodu zizokuqina. Umpostoli uPowula watlola wathi: “Zoke izinto ezatlolwa ekadeni, zatlolelwa bona zisifundise ukuthi ngokukghodlhelela kwethu nangenduduzo evela emiTlolweni sibe nethemba.”—Roma 15:4.

Ngiliphi Ithemba uZimu Asinikela Lona?

Kunini la sitlhoga khulu khona ithemba? Kghani akusi ngesikhathi siqalene nokufa? Ebantwini abanengi, kungesikhathi bahlongakalelwa mumuntu abamthandako la babona ngasuthi ithemba yinto engekho. Kazi ngiyiphi into eqeda ithemba njengokuhlongakalelwa? Ukufa kusilalamela soke. Kuncani khulu esingakwenza bona sikubalekele, nakibe kukhona, angeze sakghona nokukukhandela. IBhayibheli likubiza kufanele ngokuthi, “isitha sokugcina.”—1 Korinte 15:26.

Singaba njani nethemba nanyana siqalene nokufa? Ivesi leBhayibheli elithi ukufa sisitha sokugcina libuye godu lithi inabeli ‘lizokubhujiswa.’ UJehova uZimu unamandla ukudlula ukufa. Ukutjengisile lokho eenkhathini ezinengi ezidlulileko. Njani? Ngokuvusa abafileko. IBhayibheli likhuluma ngezenzakalo ezilithoba lapho uZimu asebenzisa khona amandlakhe bona avuse abathileko ebebahlongakele.

Kwesinye isenzakalo esiveleleko, uJehova wanikela iNdodanakhe uJesu amandla wokuvusa umnganakhe omkhulu uLazaru ebesele kudlule amalanga amane ahlongakele. UJesu wenza isenzwesi phambi kwesiqubuthu ebesibukele, ingasi ngemsithelweni.—Jwanisi 11:38-48, 53; 12:9, 10.

Mhlamunye uyazibuza ukuthi, ‘Kubayini kwavuswa abantu? Akhenge bakhule, baluphala bahlongakala godu?’ Iye, lokho kwenzeka. Ngebanga lezenzakalo zamambala esingazithemba zokuvuswa kwabantu njengalesi, singaba nethemba elidlula isifiso sokuthi abathandekako bethu abahlongakeleko bazokuvuka godu; sineenzathu zokukholelwa ukuthi bazokuvuka. Ngamanye amezwi, sinethemba lamambala.

UJesu wathi: “Mina ngikuvuka nokuphila.” (Jwanisi 11:25) UJehova uzomnikela amandla begodu amsebenzise bona avuse abantu ephasini mazombe. UJesu wathi: “Isikhathi siyeza lapho boke abasemathuneni bazokuzwa ilizwi [lakaKrestu] baphume.” (Jwanisi 5:28, 29) Iye, boke abalele emathuneni banethemba lokuvuselwa epharadesi ephasini.

Umphorofidi u-Isaya wasenzela umfanekiso othinta ihliziyo lo, wathi: “Abahlongakeleko bakho bazokuphila. Iindumbu zami zizokuvuka. Vukani, nirhuwelele ngethabo, nina zakhamuzi ezisethulini! Ngombana umbethakho unjengombethe wekuseni, begodu iphasi lizokuvumela labo abanganamandla ekufeni bona baphile.”—Isaya 26:19. Ungayiqala nge-New English Bible.

Kghani lokho akududuzi? Abafileko baphephile njengomntwana osesibelethweni sakanina. Kwamambala, labo abalele emathuneni basemkhumbulweni wakaZimu uMninimandla woke. (Lukasi 20:37, 38) Esikhathini esingaphelisi ihliziyo bazokubuyiselwa ekuphileni, bangene ephasini elitjha, njengomntwana oqeda ukubelethwa nakamukelwa mndenakhe! Yeke, kunethemba ngitjho nalokha nasiqalene nokufa.

Lokho Ithemba Elingakwenzela Khona

UPowula usifundisa okunengi ngokuqakatheka kwethemba. Wathi ithemba yingcenye eqakathekileko yezembatho, isikoporo. (1 Thesalonika 5:8) Bekatjho ukuthini ngalokho? Ngeenkhathi zeBhayibhelini, isotja belimbatha isikoporo esenziwe ngesimbi nabaya epini, kanengi bebasimbatha phezu kwengwani yesikhumba. Ngebanga lesikoporwesi, nababetjhwa ehloko bezokubetha phezulu idlule kunokulimaza ihloko. Beliyini iphuzu lakaPowula? Njengombana isikoporo sivikela ihloko, ithemba livikela ingqondo, lokho okusisiza sicabange. Nawunethemba eliqinileko malungana nomnqopho kaZimu, akukafuzi utshwenyeke nawuqalana neentjhijilo. Ngubani ongathi akasitlhogi isikoporo esinjengalesi?

UPowula wasebenzisa omunye umfanekiso ngethemba malungana nentando kaZimu. Wathi: ‘Ithembeli linjenge-ankera yomphefumulo, liqinisekile begodu lidzimelele.’ (Hebheru 6:19) UPowula bekakwazi ukuqakatheka kwe-ankera, kazi wasinda ngaphezu kwesikhathi esisodwa nakaphukelwa skepe. Nabaqalene nesiwuruwuru, abatjhayeli beenkepe behlisa i-ankera. Nayehle yahloma elitjeni isikepe ngekhe sakhamba nesiwuruwuru.

Ngendlela efanako, nangabe iinthembiso zakaZimu zisinikela ithemba ‘eliqinisekileko nelidzimeleleko,’ ithembelo lingasisiza siqalane neentjhijilo esikhathini esiphilakiswesi. UJehova usithembisa ukuthi kuzokufika isikhathi lapho woke umuntu angekhe asatshwenywa zizipi, bugebengu, lisizi namkha kukufa. (Qala ibhoksi ekhasini 10.) Ukubambelela ethembenelo kungasisiza sibalekele iinhlekelele, kusinikele isikhuthazo esisitlhogako bona siphile ngeenkambisolawulo zakaZimu kunokobana sithabele izinto ezisilapheleko zephaseli.

Ithemba uJehova asinikela lona libandakanya nawe mathupha. Ufuna uthabele ukuphila njengasekuthomeni ngesikhathi adala izulu nephasi. Ufuna ukuthi “yoke imihlobo yabantu isindiswe.” Njani? Kokuthoma, ngamunye wethu kufuze ‘afikelele elwazini elinembileko leqiniso.’ (1 Thimothi 2:4) Abagadangisi bomagazini lo bakukhuthaza bona ufunde okungeziweko okumalungana neliZwi lakaZimu. Ithemba uZimu azokunikela lona linamandla begodu likhulu ukudlula nanyana ngiliphi ithemba ongalifumana ephasinapha.

Ngethembeli, awutlhogi ukuzizwa unganamandla, uZimu angakunikela amandla owatlhogako bona uzalisekise yoke imigomwakho ekhambisana nentando kaZimu. (2 Korinte 4:7; Filipi 4:13) Kghani akusilo ihlobo lethemba olitlhogakwelo? Yeke, nawutlhoga ithemba, ufunana nalo, ungapheli amandla. Ithemba selitjhidele. Ungalifumana!

(Iyaragwa ekhasini 11)

(Iyaragwa kusukela ekhasini 9)

Njengombana isikoporo sivikela ihloko, ithemba livikela ingqondo

Njenge-ankera, ithemba elinesisekelo esiqinileko lingenza bona sinzinze

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