1, 2. (a) Izimo ezishintsha ngokungalindelekile zingamthinta kanjani umKristu? (Bheka isithombe esisekuqaleni.) (b) NgokweHubo 131, yisiphi isimo sengqondo esingasisiza sihlale sinokuthula kwangaphakathi?

LAPHO uLloyd no-Alexandra bezwa ukuthi babelwe ukuyokhonza njengamaphayona, baqale baphatheka kabi. Base bekhonze eBethel iminyaka engaphezu kwengu-25. ULloyd uthi: “IBethel nesabelo engangisenza khona kwase kuyingxenye yokuphila kwami. Ngangiziqonda izizathu zokushintshwa isabelo, kodwa emavikini nasezinyangeni ezalandela, ngangizizwa sengathi ngilahliwe. Indlela engangizizwa ngayo yayilokhu ishintshashintsha. Ngesinye isikhathi ngangizizwa ngikhuthazekile; ngiphinde ngizizwe ngidangele.”

² Lapho ukuphila kwethu kushintsha ngokungalindelekile, lolo shintsho esibhekana nalo lungasenza sikhathazeke futhi sicindezeleke. (IzAga 12:25) Kungase kube nzima ngisho nokulwamukela lolo shintsho. Ezimweni ezinjalo, ‘singawududuza futhi siwuthulise’ kanjani umphefumulo wethu? (Funda iHubo 131:1-3.) Ake sixoxe ngezibonelo eziseBhayibhelini nezezinceku  zikaJehova zasosukwini lwethu eziye zakwazi ukuhlala zinokuthula kwangaphakathi naphezu kwezimo ezishintshayo.

3. UJosefa wazithola ekusiphi isimo?

³ UJosefa wayeneminyaka engaba ngu-17 lapho abafowabo abanomona bemthengisela ebugqilini. Ngaphambi kwalokhu, uJosefa wayeyintandokazi kayise. (Gen. 37:2-4, 23-28) Wakhuthazelela ukuphila kokuba isigqila nesiboshwa eGibhithe iminyaka engaba ngu-13, ekude noyise amthandayo, uJakobe. Yini eyasiza uJosefa wangahlala elusizi futhi wangaba nayo inzondo?

4. (a) Yini uJosefa agxila kuyo ngesikhathi esejele? (b) UJehova wayiphendula kanjani imithandazo kaJosefa?

⁴ Ngesikhathi ehlupheka ejele, uJosefa kumelwe ukuba wayegxile ezindleleni uJehova ayemsiza ngazo. (Gen. 39:21; IHu. 105:17-19) Amaphupho ayisiprofetho awaphupha esemncane nawo ayengamenza aqiniseke ngokuthi uJehova wayenaye. (Gen. 37:5-11) Kungenzeka wathululela isifuba sakhe kuJehova izikhathi eziningi. (IHu. 145:18) Ephendula imithandazo yakhe esuka enhliziyweni, uJehova wamqinisekisa ngokuthi ‘wayeyokuba naye’ kuzo zonke izilingo ayeyobhekana nazo.—IzE. 7:9, 10. *

5. “Ukuthula kukaNkulunkulu” kungasisiza kanjani siqhubeke sikhonza uJehova?

⁵ Naphezu kwezimo ezinzima, nathi namuhla singayizwa induduzo yokuba ‘nokuthula kukaNkulunkulu’ okuqapha amandla ethu okucabanga. (Funda eyabaseFilipi 4:6, 7.) Ngakho, uma sincika kuJehova lapho izinkathazo zisiqeda amandla, ukuthula kukaNkulunkulu kungasinika amandla okuqhubeka simkhonza futhi singaphonsi ithawula. Ukuze sikubone lokhu, ake sixoxe ngezinye izibonelo zasosukwini lwethu.

6, 7. Ukuthandazela ngokuqondile izinto ezisikhathazayo kungasisiza kanjani sibe nokuthula kwangaphakathi? Nikeza isibonelo.

⁶ Lapho uRyan noJuliette betshelwa ukuthi ngeke besaba amaphayona akhethekile esikhashana, bazizwa belahliwe. URyan uthi, “Savele sathandaza kuJehova ngalolu daba. Sasazi ukuthi leli kwakuyithuba elikahle lokubonisa ukuthi sithembele kuye. Abaningi ebandleni esikulo babebasha emaqinisweni, ngakho sathandazela ukuba uJehova asisize sibabekele isibonelo esihle sokuba nokholo.”

⁷ UJehova wawuphendula kanjani umthandazo wabo? URyan uyakhumbula: “Ngemva nje kokuthandaza, ukudikibala nokukhathazeka esasinakho kwaphela. Ukuthula kukaNkulunkulu kwakuqapha izinhliziyo namandla ethu okucabanga. Saqaphela ukuthi uJehova wayengaqhubeka esisebenzisa uma sihlala sinombono ofanele.”

8-10. (a) Umoya kaNkulunkulu ungasisiza kanjani sibhekane nokukhathazeka? (b) UJehova angayibusisa kanjani imizamo yethu yokugxila ekumkhonzeni?

⁸ Ngaphezu kokusisiza sihlale sizolile, umoya ongcwele kaNkulunkulu ungasiqondisa emavesini eBhayibheli angasisiza siqonde ukuthi yini ngempela okufanele ize kuqala ekuphileni. (Funda uJohane 14:26, 27) Cabanga ngesibonelo sikaPhilip nomkakhe uMary, abase bekhonze eBethel iminyaka ecishe ibe ngu-25. Ezinyangeni ezine, bobabili bashonelwa omama nesinye isihlobo sabo futhi kusenjalo baqala ukunakekela ubaba kaMary, onesifo sokukhohlwa.

 ⁹ UPhilip uyakhumbula: “Ngangizitshela ukuthi ngiyaduduzeka, kodwa kukhona okwakungahambi kahle. Ngafunda eyabaseKolose 1:11 esihlokweni se-Nqabayokulinda efundwayo. Ngingasho ukuthi ngangizizwa ngingcono, kodwa hhayi ngokuphelele. Kwakudingeka ‘ngikhuthazele ngokugcwele futhi ngibekezele ngenjabulo.’ Leli vesi langikhumbuza ukuthi injabulo yami ayincikile ezimweni zami, kodwa endleleni umoya kaNkulunkulu ongisiza ngayo.”

¹⁰ Ngenxa yemizamo yabo yokuhlala begxile ekumkhonzeni, uJehova wababusisa ngezindlela eziningi. Ngemva nje kokuphuma eBethel, baba nezifundo zeBhayibheli ezithuthukayo ezazifuna ukufunda kaningana ngeviki. UMary uthi, “Kwasijabulisa kakhulu lokho futhi kwakuyindlela uJehova ayesitshela ngayo ukuthi konke kuzolunga.”

11, 12. (a) UJosefa wamnikeza ngayiphi indlela uNkulunkulu okuthile azokubusisa? (b) UJosefa wabusiswa kanjani ngokukhuthazela kwakhe?

¹¹ Lapho kwenzeka ushintsho olungalindelekile ekuphileni kwethu, kalula nje ukukhathazeka kungasikhwantabalisa. Lokhu kwakungenzeka kuJosefa. Kodwa wanquma ukwenza ngendlela eyayizonika uJehova isizathu sokumbusisa. Nakuba ayesejele, uJosefa wazikhandla kunoma imiphi imisebenzi ayeyinikwa isikhulu esiyinhloko, njengoba nje ayenzile lapho esebenzela uPotifari.—Gen. 39:21-23.

¹² Ngolunye usuku, uJosefa waphathiswa umsebenzi wokunakekela amadoda amabili ayeke aba nezikhundla eziphakeme esigodlweni sikaFaro. Ngenxa yendlela enomusa uJosefa ayewaphethe ngayo, la madoda amxoxela amaphupho awo ayewaphuphe ngayizolo ayewenza ukuba akhathazeke. (Gen. 40:5-8) Yize uJosefa ayengaqapheli, leyo ngxoxo yayizoba nemiphumela ejabulisayo. Nakuba kwakusazodingeka ahlale eminye iminyaka emibili ejele, ekugcineni waphuma futhi ngalo lolo suku, wabekwa njengombusi wesibili ngemva kukaFaro.—Gen. 41:1, 14-16, 39-41.

13. Yini esingayenza ukuze sinike uJehova isizathu sokusibusisa kungakhathaliseki ukuthi sibhekene nezimo ezinjani?

¹³ NjengoJosefa, singase sizithole sisesimweni esingeke sikwazi ukwenza lutho ngaso. Nokho, uma sihlala sinesineke futhi sizikhandla ekwenzeni konke esingakwenza ezimweni esikuzo, siyobe sinika uJehova okuthile angakubusisa. (IHu. 37:5) Ngezinye izikhathi singase sizizwe “sisambathekile,” kodwa, njengoba umphostoli uPawulu asho, “asibona abangenayo nhlobo indlela yokuphuma.” (2 Kor. 4:8) La mazwi kaPawulu ayoba yiqiniso kithi, ikakhulukazi uma sihlala sigxile enkonzweni.

14-16. UFiliphu umvangeli wahlala kanjani egxile enkonzweni yakhe naphezu kwezimo ezishintshayo?

¹⁴ UFiliphu umvangeli uyisibonelo esihle somuntu owahlala egxile enkonzweni naphezu kwezimo ezishintshashintshayo. EJerusalema, kwaba noshushiso ngemva kokubulawa kukaStefanu. * Ngaleso sikhathi, uFiliphu wanikezwa ilungelo elisha lenkonzo. (IzE. 6:1-6) Kodwa lapho abalandeli bakaKristu behlakazeka, uFiliphu wayengeke ahlale nje angenzi lutho. Wahamba wayoshumayela eSamariya, idolobha okwakungakashunyayelwa kulo ngaleso sikhathi.—Math. 10:5; IzE. 8:1, 5.

¹⁵ UFiliphu wayezimisele ukuya nomaphi lapho umoya kaNkulunkulu owawumholela khona, ngakho uJehova wamsebenzisa ukuba ayoshumayela ezindaweni okwakungakaze kushunyayelwe kuzo. Ukushumayela kwakhe ngokungakhethi cishe kwawajabulisa amaSamariya, ayevame ukubukelwa phansi amaJuda. Akumangazi ukuthi isixuku samlalela “nganhliziyonye.”—IzE. 8:6-8.

¹⁶ Umoya kaNkulunkulu wabe usuholela uFiliphu e-Ashidodi naseKhesariya, okungamadolobha ayenabantu abaningi beZizwe. (IzE. 8:39, 40) Eminyakeni engaba ngu-20 ngemva kokuba uFiliphu eshumayele eSamariya, kubonakala sengathi izimo zakhe zaphinde zashintsha. Njengoba ayeseyindoda yomuzi, wayesezinzile endaweni ayeshumayela kuyo. Naphezu kwezimo zakhe ezishintshayo, uFiliphu wahlala egxilile enkonzweni yakhe futhi ngenxa yalokho, uJehova wambusisa ngokucebile yena nomndeni wakhe.—IzE. 21:8, 9.

17, 18. Ukuhlala sigxile enkonzweni kungasisiza kanjani sibe nombono ofanele lapho kwenzeka ushintsho?

¹⁷ Izikhonzi eziningi zesikhathi esigcwele ziyavuma ukuthi ukugxila enkonzweni kuzisizile zahlala zinombono ofanele naphezu kokushintsha kwezimo. Lapho u-Osborne nomkakhe uPolite baseNingizimu Afrika bephuma eBethel, babecabanga ukuthi bazosheshe bawuthole umsebenzi ababezowenza izinsuku ezimbalwa ngeviki nendawo yokuhlala. U-Osborne uthi: “Ngokudabukisayo asisheshanga sawuthola umsebenzi njengoba sasilindele.” Umkakhe, uPolite, uyakhumbula: “Kwaphela izinyanga ezintathu singawutholi umsebenzi, futhi ayikho imali esasiyibekile. Kwakunzima ngempela.”

¹⁸ Yini eyabasiza babhekana nesimo sabo esicindezelayo? U-Osborne ukufingqa  ngala mazwi: “Ukushumayela nebandla kwasisiza kakhulu ukuba sihlale sigxile enkonzweni futhi sinombono ofanele. Sanquma ukugxila emsebenzini wokushumayela kunokuba sihlale sibalise futhi lokho kwasenza sajabula kakhulu. Sawucinga yonke indawo umsebenzi futhi ekugcineni sawuthola.”

19-21. (a) Yini ezosisiza sihlale sinokuthula kwangaphakathi? (b) Yini esingayizuza ngokuzivumelanisa nezimo ezishintshayo?

¹⁹ Njengoba lezi zibonelo zibonisa, uma senza konke okusemandleni ethu bese silinda uJehova ngesineke, sizohlala sinokuthula kwangaphakathi. (Funda uMika 7:7.) Singase siqaphele nokuthi ukushintsha kwezimo kuye kwaqinisa ubuhlobo bethu noJehova. Ecabanga ngalokho okwenzeka kuye, uPolite okukhulunywe ngaye uthi: “Ukushintsha isabelo kungifundise ukuthi kusho ukuthini ukuncika kuJehova ngempela ngisho nalapho kubonakala sengathi izimo zingaphezu kwamandla. Manje sengisondelene kakhulu naye.”

²⁰ UMary, ocashunwe ekuqaleni, usaqhubeka enakekela ubaba wakhe osekhulile kuyilapho ephayona. Uyavuma: “Ngiye ngafunda ukuthi lapho ngikhathazekile, kudingeka ngime, ngithandaze bese ngehlisa umoya. Cishe isifundo esikhulu engiye ngasifunda ukuthi kumelwe ngishiyele izinto kuJehova futhi lokho kuzodingeka nakakhulu njengoba isikhathi siqhubeka.”

²¹ ULloyd no-Alexandra okukhulunywe ngabo ekuqaleni bayavuma ukuthi ukushintsha kwezimo zabo kuye kwaluvivinya ukholo lwabo ngezindlela ababengakaze bazicabange. Kodwa bathi: “Ukuvivinywa kokholo lwethu kuveza ukuthi luqotho yini nokuthi lunawo yini amandla okusisekela nokusiduduza ezikhathini ezinzima. Kusenza abantu abangcono.”

22. Uma sizama ukwenza konke esingakwenza ezimweni esibhekene nazo, yini esingaqiniseka ngayo?

²² Uma ukuphila kushintsha kungalindelekile—ngenxa yokushintsha kwesabelo enhlanganweni, izinkinga zempilo noma imithwalo yokunakekela umndeni—qiniseka ngokuthi uJehova uyakukhathalela futhi uzokusiza ngesikhathi esifanele. (Heb. 4:16; 1 Pet. 5:6, 7) Okwamanje, yenza konke ongakwenza ezimweni obhekene nazo. Sondela kuBaba wakho osezulwini ngomthandazo, ushiyele zonke izinto ezandleni zakhe. Ngale ndlela, nawe uzohlala unokuthula kwangaphakathi naphezu kwezimo ezishintshayo.