Aluba bekuliqiniso lokhu bekuzakuba nzima kakhulu ukuthi sikwamukele njalo sikuzwisise. Ngokwesibonelo omunye umzalwane olendodana yakhe eyazibulalayo wabuza wathi: ‘UJehova uqale wahlolisisa yini wasebona ukuthi mina lomkami singabumela ubunzima lobu? Ubesebonile yini ukuthi singenelisa ukubekezelela isilingo lesi?’ Wena uthini? Kulengqondo yini ukucabanga ukuthi uJehova uyahlela kuseselesikhathi izinto ezizakwenzakala empilweni yethu?

Ukuhlolisisa amazwi kaPhawuli aku-1 Khorinte 10:13 kuzasinceda sibone ukuthi iMibhalo kayikutsho ukuthi uJehova uyahlola kuseselesikhathi izilingo esihlangana lazo abesekhetha ukuthi yiziphi esingenelisa ukumelana lazo. Okwakhathesi ake sixoxe ngezizathu ezine ezizasisiza ukuthi siyizwisise kuhle indaba le.

Okokuqala, uJehova wanika abantu inkululeko yokuzikhethela. Ufuna sizikhethele ukuthi sifuna ukuphila njani. (Dute. 30:19, 20; Josh. 24:15) Nxa singakhetha ukwenza okuhle, uJehova uzasiqondisa kukho konke esikwenzayo. (Zaga. 16:9) Kodwa nxa singenza okubi kuzamele sivune lokho esikuhlanyeleyo. (Gal. 6:7) Aluba uJehova ubekhetha izilingo okumele zisehlele ubezabe esesithathela inkululeko yokuzikhethela asinike yona.

Okwesibili yikuthi abantu “bafikelwa yizikhathi ezimbi ezibafikela belibele.” (UmTshu. 9:12) Kwezinye izikhathi abantu bawela engozini ezibuhlungu ngenxa yokuba sendaweni engayisiyo ngesikhathi esingayisiso. UJesu wakhuluma ngengozi yokuwa komphotshongo owabulala abantu abangu-18 waseveza ukuthi uNkulunkulu kayisuye owabangela ukufa kwalabobantu. (Luk. 13:1-5) Ngakho siyabona ukuthi akuqondanga ukuthi nxa kungaba lengozi ethile, sithi uNkulunkulu ubevele esekwazi ukuthi ngubani ozakufa lozasinda.

Okwesithathu, ngamunye wethu ulomlandu wokuhlala ethembekile kuJehova. Khumbula ukuthi uSathane uthi akulamuntu ongahlala ethembekile  kuJehova ikakhulu nxa esehlelwa yizilingo. (Jobe. 1:9-11; 2:4; Isam. 12:10) Aluba uJehova uyavimba ezinye izilingo ngoba ebona ukuthi kasingeke senelise ukuzibekezelela bekungakhanya angathi uSathane uqinisile.

Okwesine yikuthi uJehova kakhangeli kuseselesikhathi ukuthi kuyini okuzasehlela. UJehova ulawo sibili amandla okubona izinto zingakenzakali. (Isaya. 46:10) Kodwa iBhayibhili litshengisa ukuthi amandla la kaphonguwasebenzisa nje kuzo zonke izinto, uyakhetha ukuthi uwasebenzisa ngaphi. (Gen. 18:20, 21; 22:12) UJehova ulothando futhi ulungile, ngakho kenzi loba yini engaphambanisa indlela esisebenzisa ngayo inkululeko yokuzikhethela asiphe yona.—Dute. 32:4; 2 Khor. 3:17.

Manje atshoni amazwi kaPhawuli athi: “UNkulunkulu . . . akayikuvumela ukuba lilingwe ngokwedlula lokho elingakumela”? Emazwini la uPhawuli uchaza lokho uJehova akwenzayo nxa umuntu ephakathi kohlupho, hatshi ukuthi uyakhangela izinhlupho zingakafiki. Amazwi la ayasiqinisa sibili ngoba atshengisa ukuthi uJehova uzimisele ukusisiza kungelani lokuthi sihlangana lobunzima obungakanani empilweni. (Hubo. 55:22) Ake sixoxe ngezizathu ezimbili ezenza uPhawuli wabhala lawomazwi.

Okokuqala, izilingo esihlangana lazo ‘zijayelekile ebantwini.’ Ubunzima esihlangana labo ngobujayelekileyo ebantwini yikho singenelisa ukubumela nxa singacela ukuthi uJehova asincedise. (1 Phet. 5:8, 9) Emavesini akuqala ku-1 Khorinte isahluko 10 uPhawuli ukhuluma ngezilingo ezehlela abako-Israyeli ngesikhathi besenkangala. (1 Khor. 10:6-11) Zonke izilingo lezo zazingankulu okokuthi kwakungabanzima ukuthi abantu ababethembekile bamelane lazo. UPhawuli wakhuluma kwaze kwaba kane ukuthi ‘abanye babo’ behluleka ukulalela. Lokhu kwabangelwa yikuthi babevumela izifiso zabo ezimbi njalo abamthembanga uNkulunkulu.

Okwesibili yikuthi “uNkulunkulu uthembekile.” Indlela uNkulunkulu ayephatha ngayo abantu bakhe endulo iveza ukuthi uthembekile kakhulu ‘kulabo abamthandayo njalo begcina imilayo yakhe.’ (Dute. 7:9) Lokhu kutshengisa ukuthi uJehova uyakwenza konke akuthembisayo. (Josh. 23:14) Yikho okokuqala siyaqiniseka ukuthi uJehova kasoze avumele izilingo ezisehleleyo zikhule kakhulu size sicine sisehluleka ukumelana lazo. Kanti njalo okwesibili sileqiniso lokuthi ‘lapho silingwa uzasinika indlela yokuphunyuka.’

UJehova ubanika njani abantu bakhe indlela yokuphunyuka nxa bephakathi kohlupho? Kwezinye izikhathi angalususa lolohlupho. Kodwa khumbula ukuthi uPhawuli uthi: “[UJehova] uzalinika indlela yokuphunyuka ukuze limelane lakho.” Izikhathi ezinengi uyasinika indlela yokuphunyuka ngokusisiza ngalokho esikudingayo ukuze senelise ukubekezelela ubunzima esiphakathi kwabo. Nanzi ezinye izindlela asisekela ngazo ukuze sithole indlela yokuphunyuka:

• ‘Uyasiduduza kuzo zonke izinhlupheko zethu.’ (2 Khor. 1:3, 4) Usebenzisa iLizwi lakhe, umoya ongcwele lamabhuku esiwanikwa yinhlanganiso yethu ukuze asiduduze.—Mat. 24:45; Joh. 14:16, Rom. 15:4.

• Angasiqondisa langomoya wakhe ongcwele. (Joh. 14:26) Nxa singaba phakathi kohlupho umoya wakhe ungasiphathisa ukuthi sikhumbule izimiso kanye lezindaba ezithile eziseBhayibhilini ezingasinceda ukuthi sikhethe kuhle.

• Angathumela izingilosi ukuthi zisincede.—Heb. 1:14.

• Angasebenzisa esikhonza labo ukuthi basiduduze njalo basiqinise.—Kol. 4:11.

Usukuzwisisa yini ukuthi uPhawuli wayesitshoni ku-1 Khorinte 10:13? UJehova kahlali phansi akhethe ukuthi yiziphi izilingo okumele zisehlele. Kodwa-ke esingaqiniseka ngakho yikuthi nxa singathembela kuye, angasinceda ukuthi sibekezelele loba yiziphi izilingo esingahlangana lazo. Kanti njalo uzahlala esinika indlela yokuphunyuka ukuze asincede ukuthi sibekezelele zonke izinhlupho esihlangana lazo. Kuyaduduza sibili ukwazi lokhu!