Akhuqale ukuthi nange singatjho njalo umraro ungaba kuphi. Omunye umfowethu indodanakhe yazibulala, yeke wabuza imibuzo nasi: ‘Inga-kghani uJehova uthe nakaqala mina nomkami, wabona ukuthi sizokukghona ukuqalana nesilingwesi? Inga-kghani kwenzeke ngombana uZimu azi ukuthi sizokukghona ukuyibekezelela into enje?’ Kunenqondo na ukuphetha ngokuthi uJehova ubangela izinto ezinjalo zenzeke ekuphileni kwethu?

Nasilokhu siraga nokufunda amezwi kaPowula la akweyo-1 Korinte 10:13, sifinyelele esiphethwenesi: Akunavesi esilifumene eBhayibhelini elisinikela ibanga lokukholelwa ukuthi uJehova uyasihlola abone ukuthi ngisiphi thina isilingo esingakghona ukusithwala, bese asibangele bona senzeke. Akhesidembe amabanga amane asenze safinyelela isiphethweso.

Lokuthoma ibanga ngileli, uJehova wenza abantu bona bazikhethele. Yeke ufuna soke sizikhethele ukuthi sifuna ukuphila njani. (Dut. 30:19, 20; Jotj. 24:15) Okuhle kukuthi nasikhetha ukukhamba endleleni elungileko, uJehova usinqophisa abe asisize. (IzA. 16:9) Kodwana okutlhuwisako kukuthi nasikhetha ukukhamba endleleni engakalungi, kufuze sazi ukuthi sizokuvuna esikutjalileko. (Gal. 6:7) Yeke nange uJehova akhetha ukuthi ngiziphi iinlingo thina esingaqalana nazo, lokhu kuzabe kutjho ukuthi akafuni sizikhethele.

Lesibili ngileli, “isikhathi nethuba kubehlela boke” yeke uJehova akakuvimbeli lokho bona kungenzeki kithi. (UMtj. 9:11) Ngezinye iinkhathi iingozi zingasivelela mhlamunye ngombana besisendaweni embi nangesikhathi esingakafaneli. UJesu wakhe wakhuluma ngenye ingozi eyabulala abantu abali-18 boke, phela kwawa umtlomogo. Kodwana watjho wathi umonakalo lo, awukabangelwa nguZimu. (Luk. 13:1-5) Alo siphetha ngaliphi? Siphetha ngelokuthi uJehova angeze ahlela kusese ngaphambili bona ngesikhathi esithileko ngubani okufuze ahlongakale.

Lesithathu ngileli, omunye nomunye wethu kufuze alwele ukuhlala athembekile kuZimu. Ungakhohlwa ukuthi uSathana uyasilinga, phela ufuna ukubona ukuthi sithembeke kangangani kuJehova. Begodu wathi nasingaqalana neenlingo, sizokulisa ukuthembeka kuJehova. (Job. 1:9-11; 2:4; IsAm. 12:10)  Alo nange uJehova angasibabalela namkha avimbele iinlingo ezithileko bona zingenzeki kithi, athi awa lezi zona abantu bami angeze bakghona ukuzithwala. Lokho bekuzokubonakala ngasuthi uSathana bekaqinisile nakathi silotjha uJehova ngebanga lokuthi sifuna ukuzuza kwaphela.

Lesine-ke ngileli, akutlhogeki bona uJehova abone zoke izinto ezingasehlela. Kazi nasingathi uZimu ubona iinlingo zingakasehleli, lokho kuzabe kutjho ukuthi wazi koke ngekusasa lethu. Begodu nange singatjho njalo, sizabe siphikisana neBhayibheli. Kodwana asitjho ukuthi uZimu akakghoni ukubona ukuthi izinto zizokuba njani ngengomuso. (Isa. 46:10) Uyakghona ukubona ukuthi yini ezokwenzeka ngengomuso, kodwana uyakukhetha afuna ukukubona ngekusasa lethu. (Gen. 18:20, 21; 22:12) Lokhu kutjho ukuthi nanyana akghona ukubona ikusasa, uyalihlonipha ilungelo labantu lokuzikhethela. UZimu akalinyazi ilungelo lethu lokuzikhethela begodu unobuntu obuhle.—Dut. 32:4; 2 Kor. 3:17.

Alo kufuze siwazwisise njani amezwi kaPowula athi: “UZimu . . . angeze avume bona nilingwe ngaphezu kwamandlenu”? Kazi uPowula la usitjela ngalokho uJehova akwenzako, ingasi ngaphambi kokuthi silingwe kodwana ngesikhathi la sicwile khona eenlingweni. * Yeke amezwi kaPowula la asiqinisa idolo, ngombana asitjela ukuthi nanyana ngisiphi isilingo esingaqalana naso, uJehova uzosisekela kodwana kwaphela nasithembela kuye. (Rhu. 55:22, [55:23, NW]) Amezwi kaPowula la, asekelwe emaqinisweni amabili.

Kokuthoma, iinlingo esiqalana nazo banengi abaqalene nazo. Yeke singaba nawo amandla wokuzithwala, kodwana kwaphela nasingathembela kuZimu. (1 Pit. 5:8, 9) UPowula nakatlola yoku-1 Korinte 10:13, bekakhuluma ngeenlingo ama-Israyeli aqalana nazo amangweni. (1 Kor. 10:6-11) Abe asikho nasinye ebesingaphezu kwamandlabo. Kodwana uPowula watlola amezwi athi “abanye babo” akhenge balalele. Yeke ngebanga lokuthi khenge bathembele kuZimu benza izinto ezimbi.

Kwesibili ‘uZimu uthembekile.’ Nasiqala umlando woke, sibona ukuthi uZimu uthembekile ‘kwabamkhathalelako balonde nemiyalwakhe.’ (Dut. 7:9) Ubuye usitjengise nokuthi uZimu uyazifeza iinthembiso zakhe. (Jotj. 23:14) Yeke abantu abamthandako uZimu nabamlalelako, umlando lo kufuze ubenze bathembe ukuthi nabaqalene neenlingo uZimu uzokufeza nanzi iinthembiso: (1) Angekhe avumele nasinye isilingo bona sibe ngaphezu kwamandlethu (2) “uzaninikela nendlela yokuphepha.”

Alo uJehova ubenzela njani abantu abamthembeko indlela yokuqalana nemiraro? Iqiniso kukuthi ngasikhathi, angasisusa isilingo kodwana kwaphela nakukhambisana nentandwakhe. Nanyana kunjalo, akukafuzi siwalibale amezwi kaPowula la: “Uzaninikela [uJehova] nendlela yokuphepha ukuze nijamelane naso.” Yeke lokho kuyasitjela ukuthi nakathi usinikela ‘indlela yokuphepha’ kutjho ukuthi usinikela koke esikutlhogako bona sihlule isilingweso. Akhesidembe nanzi ezinye zeendlela uJehova angazisebenzisa bona asenzele indlela yokuphepha:

• “Usiduduza kizo zoke iinhlupheko zethu.” (2 Kor. 1:3, 4) UJehova angasebenzisa iliZwi lakhe, ummoyakhe ocwengileko nangeencwadi esizenzelwe yinceku ethembekileko bona sibohlise ubuhlungu bethu, sipholise iinhliziyo zethu abe asenze sizizwe ngcono.—Mat. 24:45; Jwa. 14:16; Rom. 15:4.

• Angasisiza sikhambe endleleni efaneleko ngommoyakhe. (Jwa. 14:26) Njani? Nasicwile emirarweni ummoyakhe ungasikhumbuza amavesi angasisiza bona siqalane nomraro loyo, sazi nokuthi sithathe yiphi indlela.

• Angasebenzisa neengilozi bona zisisize.—Heb. 1:14.

• Angasebenzisa abafowethu nabodadwethu esimlotjha nabo, izinto abangazitjho nabangazenza ‘zingasiduduza.’—Kol. 4:11.

Alo kuhlekuhle bekatjho ukuthini uPowula nakazakutlola yoku-1 Korinte 10:13? Siphetha ngokuthi, uJehova akakhethi ukuthi ngiziphi iinlingo okufuze siqalane nazo begodu ngiziphi okungakafuzi siqalane nazo. Begodu nakwenzeka sizithole siduda emirarweni, kufuze siqiniseke ngalokhu: Nasingathemba uJehova ngokupheleleko, angekhe avumele nanyana ngisiphi isilingo bona sibe ngaphezu kwamandlethu. Kodwana uzokuhlala asinikela nendlela yokuphuma ukuze sikghone ukujamelana naso. Akunamezwi aduduza njengala!