1, 2. (a) Unokuziva njani umKristu xa iimeko zakhe zitshintsha engalindelanga? (Jonga umfanekiso osekuqaleni.) (b) INdumiso 131 ithi yintoni enokusinceda sizole?

ULLOYD noAlexandra bakhathazeka gqitha xa bacelwa ukuba baphume eBheteli baye entsimini. Babeneminyaka engaphezu kweyi-25 beseBheteli. ULloyd uthi: “Ndandiyithanda kakhulu iBheteli nomsebenzi endandiwenza apho kangangokuba ndandingaziboni ndisenza enye into. Ekuqaleni ndandiziqonda izizathu zokuba ndisiwe entsimini, kodwa ekuhambeni kwexesha ndandiziva ngathi ndilahliwe. Ndandithi ndisonwabile suke ifike la nto ithi ndilahliwe.”

² Xa iimeko zethu zitshintsha singalindelanga, sisenokuba nexhala nestres. (IMize. 12:25) Sisenokude singalwamkeli lula nolo tshintsho. Xa kunjalo, yintoni enokusinceda ‘sizole’? (Funda iNdumiso 131:1-3.) Makhe sibone ukuba bancedwa yintoni abantu abaseBhayibhileni nabakhonzi bakaYehova banamhlanje ukuze bahlale bezolile xa iimeko zabo zitshintsha.

3. Kwenzeka ntoni kuYosefu?

³ UYosefu wayeneminyaka ephantse ibe yi-17 xa abantakwabo bamthengisa waba likhoboka ngenxa nje yomona. Ngaphambi kokuba kwenzeke loo nto, uYosefu wayengoyena mntwana wayethandwa ngutatakhe. (Gen. 37:2-4, 23-28) Kangangeminyaka eyi-13, wanyamezela ubukhoboka nokubanjwa eYiputa, ekude notata wakhe, uYakobi amthandayo. Yintoni eyanceda uYosefu akatyhafa okanye abe nenzondo?

4. (a) Xa wayesentolongweni, yintoni awacinga ngayo uYosefu? (b) UYehova wayiphendula njani imithandazo kaYosefu?

⁴ Xa kwakunzima entolongweni, uYosefu ufanele ukuba wacinga ngobungqina bokuba uYehova uyamsikelela. (Gen. 39:21; INdu. 105:17-19) Amaphupha awayewaphuphe esemncinci, afanele ukuba amenza waqiniseka ukuba uYehova uyamthanda. (Gen. 37:5-11) Siqinisekile ukuba wayesoloko ezixelela uYehova iingxaki zakhe. (INdu. 145:18) Ephendula imithandazo yakhe, uYehova wamqinisekisa ukuba uza ‘kuba naye’ kuzo zonke iingxaki zakhe.​—IZenzo 7:9, 10. *

5. Yintoni olunokusenza sizimisele ukuyenza “uxolo lukaThixo”?

⁵ Enoba zinzima kangakanani iimeko zethu, nathi sinokuzibonela indlela oluthuthuzela ngayo “uxolo lukaThixo” olukhusela iingqondo zethu. (Funda amaFilipi 4:6, 7.) Ngoko ukuba sithandaza kuYehova xa sinexhala, uxolo lukaThixo lunokusenza sizimisele nangakumbi ukumsebenzela luze lusikhusele singanikezeli. Nantsi imizekelo yanamhlanje ebonisa loo nto.

6, 7. Ukuchazela uYehova eyona nto isikhathazayo kunokusinceda njani sizole? Khawusiphe umzekelo.

⁶ Xa uRyan noJuliette bayekiswayo ukuba ngoovulindlela abakhethekileyo bokwexeshana, bakhathazeka gqitha. URyan uthi: “Saxelela uYehova ngoko nangoko. Saqonda ukuba le nto iza kwenza kucace ukuba siyamthemba na. Abantu abaninzi ebandleni lethu babebatsha enyanisweni, ngoko sathandaza kuYehova simcela asincede ukuba sibe ngumzekelo omhle wokuba nokholo.”

⁷ UYehova wawuphendula njani umthandazo wabo? URyan uthi: “Emva nje kokuba sithandazile, sayeka ukukhathazeka nokuba nexhala. Uxolo lukaThixo lwakhusela iingqondo neentliziyo zethu. Saqonda ukuba uYehova uza kuqhubeka esisebenzisa ukuba sihlala simthemba.”

8-10. (a) Umoya kaThixo unokusinceda njani silwe nexhala? (b) Yintoni aza kuyenza uYehova xa siqhubeka simsebenzela?

⁸ Enye into onokusinceda kuyo umoya kaThixo kukusikhumbuza iivesi eziza kusinceda siqonde izinto ezibalulekileyo. (Funda uYohane 14:26, 27.) Makhe sithethe ngoPhilip nomfazi wakhe uMary, ababeseBheteli iminyaka ephantse ibe yi-25. Kwiinyanga nje ezine, bobabini baswelekelwa ngoomama babo nesinye isizalwana, kwaza kwafuneka bahlale notata kaMary owayenesigulo sengqondo.

⁹ UPhilip uthi: “Ndandicinga ukuba ndinyamezele, de ndabona amaKolose 1:11 kwinqaku leMboniselo efundwayo. Ndandinyamezele kona, kodwa hayi  ngendlela etshiwo ziZibhalo. Kwakusafuneka ‘ndinyamezele ngokupheleleyo ngomonde novuyo.’ Le vesi yandikhumbuza ukuba ukonwaba akuxhomekekanga kwiimeko kodwa kuxhomekeke ekubeni ndinawo na umoya kaThixo.”

¹⁰ Ekubeni uPhilip noMary baqhubeka besebenzela uYehova, basikelelwa ngeendlela ezininzi. Emva nje kokuba bemkile eBheteli, bafumana abantu abanomdla ababengafuni ukufundelwa kanye nje kuphela ngeveki. UMary uthi: “Babesenza sonwabe kwaye xa siyicinga le nto siyabona ngoku ukuba uYehova wayesithi kuthi yonke into iza kulunga.”

11, 12. (a) Yintoni awayenzayo uYosefu ukuze asikelelwe nguYehova? (b) Wavuzwa ngantoni uYosefu ngenxa yokunyamezela kwakhe?

¹¹ Xa iimeko zethu zitshintsha singalindelanga, sinokuba nexhala size sityhafe. Kwakunokwenzeka into efanayo kuYosefu. Kodwa akazange atyhafe nakuba imeko yakhe yayimbi, ibe uYehova wamsikelela. Nakuba wayesentolongweni, uYosefu wazimisela nakuwuphi na umsebenzi awayewunikwa ngumphathi wentolongo, njengokuba wenzayo xa wayesebenzela uPotifare.​—Gen. 39:21-23.

¹² Ngenye imini uYosefu wacelwa ukuba agade amabanjwa amabini awayekade enezikhundla eziphezulu kwaFaro. Ngenxa yokuba uYosefu wayenobubele, la madoda amxelela iingxaki zawo namaphupha awayewakhathaza. (Gen. 40:5-8) UYosefu wayengazi ukuba loo ncoko iza kumnceda akhululwe entolongweni. Nangona kwafuneka anyamezele eminye iminyaka emibini entolongweni, wakhululwa ekugqibeleni ibe kwangolo suku wanikwa isikhundla esingaphantsi kwesikaFaro kuphela.​—Gen. 41:1, 14-16, 39-41.

13. Sinokwenza ntoni ukuze sisikelelwe nguYehova enoba iimeko zethu zinjani?

¹³ NjengoYosefu, sisenokuzibhaqa sikwimeko ekungekho nto sinokuyenza ngayo. Kodwa ukuba siqhubeka sinomonde size sisebenze nzima nakuba iimeko zethu zimbi, uYehova uza kusisikelela. (INdu. 37:5) Yinyaniso kona ukuba sisenokubhideka, kodwa kanye njengokuba umpostile uPawulos esitsho, soze sishiywe sodwa. (2 Kor. 4:8) Siya kububona ubunyaniso bala mazwi kaPawulos ukuba siqhubeka sishumayela.

14-16. UFilipu waqhubeka njani eshumayela nakuba iimeko zakhe zazitshintsha?

¹⁴ UFilipu umvangeli, ungumzekelo omhle womntu owaqhubeka eshumayela  nakuba iimeko zakhe zazitshintsha. Emva kokubulawa kukaStefano, abafundi batshutshiswa kakhulu eYerusalem. * Ngelo xesha uFilipu wayesandul’ ukunikwa umsebenzi ebandleni. (IZe. 6:1-6) Kodwa xa abalandeli bakaKristu baya kwiindawo ezahlukahlukeneyo, uFilipu akazange ahlale nje angenzi nto. Waya kushumayela eSamariya, isixeko ekwakungekashunyayelwa kakhulu kuso.​—Mat. 10:5; IZe. 8:1, 5.

¹⁵ UFilipu wayesiya naphi na apho umoya kaThixo umqhubela khona. Ngenxa yoko, uYehova wamsebenzisa ukuze ashumayele kwiindawo ezintsha. AmaSamariya afanele ukuba amthanda kuba wayengawacaluli njengamanye amaYuda. Yiloo nto izihlwele zammamela “ngamxhelo mnye.”​—IZe. 8:6-8.

¹⁶ Emva koko, uFilipu wakhokelwa ngumoya kaThixo ukuze aye eAshdode naseKesareya, izixeko ezibini ezazinabantu abaninzi beeNtlanga. (IZe. 8:39, 40) Emva kweminyaka emalunga neyi-20 eshumayele eSamariya, kuyabonakala ukuba iimeko zakhe zaphinda zatshintsha. Ngoku simfumana ehlala nentsapho yakhe kwindawo awayeshumayela kuyo. Nangona iimeko zakhe zazitshintsha, uFilipu waqhubeka eshumayela ibe uYehova wamsikelela yena nentsapho yakhe.​—IZe. 21:8, 9.

17, 18. Ukuqhubeka sishumayela kusinceda njani sibe nethemba xa iimeko zethu zitshintsha?

¹⁷ Abazalwana noodade abaninzi abakwinkonzo yexesha elizeleyo bayayingqina into yokuba ukuqhubeka beshumayela kuyabanceda ukuba bangatyhafi xa iimeko zabo zitshintsha. Xa uOsborne nenkosikazi yakhe uPolite baseMzantsi Afrika bemka eBheteli, babecinga ukuba baza kukhawuleza bafumane umsebenzi nendawo yokuhlala. UOsborne uthi: “Ngelishwa zange sikhawuleze siwufumane umsebenzi.” UPolite yena uthi: “Kwaphela iinyanga ezintathu singawufumani, singenayo nemali. Kwakunzima nyhani.”

¹⁸ Yintoni eyabancedayo banyamezela? UOsborne uthi: “Ukushumayela nebandla kwasinceda kakhulu ukuze sihlale sicinga ngentsimi kwaye sinethemba. Sagqib’ ekubeni sibe ngathi siyaqina apha ekushumayeleni kunokuba  sihlale phantsi sizisizela, ibe loo nto yasenza sonwaba. Sasiwukhangela kuyo yonk’ indawo umsebenzi ibe sade sawufumana.”

19-21. (a) Yintoni eza kusinceda sibe noxolo lwengqondo? (b) Kunokusinceda ngantoni ukunyamezela ukutshintsha kweemeko?

¹⁹ Kule mizekelo sifunda ukuba, ukuba siyaqhubeka sisebenzela uYehova nakuba iimeko zethu zitshintsha size simlinde simthembile, siya kuba noxolo lwengqondo. (Funda uMika 7:7.) Ekuhambeni kwexesha sisenokufumanisa ukuba olo tshintsho lubuqinisile ubuhlobo bethu noYehova. Xa ethetha ngento eyenzeka kuye, uPolite ekukhe kwathethwa ngaye uthi: “Ukukhutshwa eBheteli kundifundise eyona nto ithethwa kukuxhomekeka kuYehova enoba kunzima kangakanani. Ngoku ndisondele nyhani kuYehova.”

²⁰ UMary ebekukhe kwathethwa ngaye usagcine utata wakhe osele ekhulile ngoxa enguvulindlela. Uthi: “Ndifunde ukuba xa ndinexhala kufuneka ndiyeke yonk’ into, ndithandaze ndize ndiphole. Ndicinga ukuba esona sifundo ndisifundileyo kukuba mandiyiyekele kuYehova yonk’ into, ibe ndicinga ukuba siza kundinceda nakwixesha elizayo.”

²¹ ULloyd noAlexandra ekuthethwe ngabo ekuqaleni bayavuma ukuba ukutshintsha kweemeko zabo kwaluvavanya ukholo lwabo, ngendlela abangazange bayicinga. Kodwa bathi: “Xa ukholo lwakho luvavanywa kutsho kucace ukuba lukhona nyhani na, ibe lunawo na amandla okukuxhasa nokukuthuthuzela xa kukubi. Kolo vavanyo uphuma ungumKristu nyhani.”

22. Ukuba siqhubeka nobomi nokuba iimeko ziyatshintsha, yintoni esinokuqiniseka ngayo?

²² Ukuba iimeko zitshintsha ungalindelanga​—mhlawumbi kutshintsha umsebenzi ubuwenza entlanganweni, uyagula, okanye kufuneka uhoye intsapho—​qiniseka ukuba uYehova ukukhathalele ibe uza kukunceda ngexesha elifanelekileyo. (Heb. 4:16; 1 Pet. 5:6, 7) Okwangoku, qhubeka nobomi enoba kunzima. Sondela kuTata wakho wasezulwini uze uzifundise ukuxhomekeka kuye. Ukuba wenza njalo, uza kuba noxolo lwengqondo nokuba iimeko ziyatshintsha.