1. Kwakufuneka kwenzeke ntoni xa umntu efuna ukuthetha nokumkani wasePersi?

MASITHI wawuhlala ePersi kwiminyaka emalunga ne-2 500 eyadlulayo. Ufuna ukuthetha nokumkani, ngoko uya kwisixeko saseShushan apho ahlala khona. Kodwa awuzukwazi ukuthetha naye kungavunywanga. Xa unokwenjenjalo, ungabulawa.—Estere 4:11.

2. UYehova ufuna sibe njani xa sithetha naye?

² Thina siyavuya kuba uYehova akafani nokumkani wasePersi. UYehova mkhulu kwaye unamandla ngaphezu kwabo bonke ookumkani, kodwa ufuna sithethe naye sikhululekile nanini na. Ngokomzekelo, nangona ebizwa ngamagama abalulekileyo anjengelithi uMdali Ozukileyo, uSomandla, iNkosi enguMongami, xa sithetha naye ufuna sisebenzise igama eliqhelekileyo nelisisondeza kuye, elithi “Tata.” (Mat. 6:9) Isivuyisa kakhulu into yokuba uYehova afune simbize ngolu hlobo.

3. Kutheni simbiza ngokuthi nguTata uYehova, kwaye yintoni esiza kuyiva kweli nqaku?

³ Sikho ngenxa kaYehova, ngoko senza kakuhle xa simbiza ngokuthi “Tata.” (INdu. 36:9) Simele simthobele kuba nguTata wethu. Xa sizenza izinto athi masizenze, uza kusisikelela. (Heb. 12:9) Uza kusisikelela ngobomi obungunaphakade ezulwini okanye apha emhlabeni. Nangoku, uyasisikelela. Kweli nqaku siza kuva ngezinto asenzela zona ezimenza abe nguTata wethu osithandayo, nangesizathu esenza siqiniseke ukuba akasoze asishiye. Kodwa makhe siqale sive ukuba kutheni simele siqiniseke ukuba uTata wethu osezulwini usithanda nyhani kwaye usikhathalele.

4. Kutheni kunzima kwabanye ukucinga ukuba uThixo nguTata wabo?

⁴ Ngaba kunzima ukucinga ukuba uThixo nguTata wakho? Abanye basenokucinga ukuba akukho nto babaluleke ngayo kumntu omkhulu njengaye. Abaqinisekanga ukuba uThixo ubakhathalele. Kodwa uTata wethu osithandayo akafuni sicinge ngolo hlobo. Usinike ubomi ibe ufuna simfune size simfumane. Emva kokuba ebaxelele loo nto abantu baseAthene, umpostile uPawulos wathi uYehova ‘akakho kude kuthi sonke.’ (IZe. 17:24-29) UThixo ufuna sithethe naye, njengomntwana othetha nomzali wakhe omthandayo nomkhathaleleyo.

5. Yintoni esiyifundayo komnye udade?

⁵ Into enokubangela ukuba kube nzima kwabanye ukucinga ukuba uYehova nguTata wabo kukuba ootata ababazeleyo khange babathande. Omnye udade uthi: “Utata wam wayethetha kakubi nam. Xa ndandiqala ukufunda iBhayibhile, kwakunzima ukubona ukuba uYehova anganguTata. Kodwa ndathi ndakumazi, yatshintsha yonke loo nto.” Ngaba nakuwe kunzima ukubona ukuba uYehova anganguTata wakho? Ukuba kunjalo, qiniseka ukuba useza kumbona uYehova engoyena Tata ubodlula bonke.

6. UMateyu 11:27 uthi yeyiphi enye indlela uYehova asincede ngayo ukuze simazi ukuba nguTata wethu osithandayo?

⁶ Enye indlela uYehova asinceda ngayo simazi ukuba nguTata wethu osithandayo zizinto eziseBhayibhileni ezathethwa nezenziwa nguYesu. (Funda uMateyu 11:27.) UYesu wayemlinganisa ngayo yonke into uTata wakhe kangangokuba wathi: “Lowo undibonileyo mna umbonile noTata.” (Yoh. 14:9) UYesu wayesoloko esithi Tata xa ethetha ngoYehova. Kwiincwadi zeVangeli ezine, wambiza ngolo hlobo malunga namaxesha ayi-165. Kwakutheni ukuze athethe ngoYehova ngolu hlobo? Esinye isizathu kukuba wayefuna abantu baqiniseke ukuba uYehova nguTata obathandayo abantu bakhe.—Yoh. 17:25, 26.

7. Yintoni esiyifundayo ngoYehova kwindlela awayemphethe ngayo uNyana wakhe?

⁷ Sifunda ntoni kwindlela uYehova awayemphethe ngayo uNyana wakhe uYesu? Wayeyimamela imithandazo yakhe. Wayengammameli nje kuba efuna ukumva, wayede amphendule. (Yoh. 11:41, 42) Xa ekuyo nayiphi na ingxaki, wayesazi ukuba uTata wakhe omthandayo uyamxhasa.—Luka 22:42, 43.

8. Ziintoni uYesu awayezenzelwa nguYehova?

⁸ UYesu wayesazi ukuba nguTata wakhe omnike ubomi nomenza aqhubeke ephila. Wathi: “Ndiphila ngaye [uTata].” (Yoh. 6:57) Wayemthembe kakhulu uTata wakhe ibe uYehova wayemnika izinto azidingayo. Eyona nto ibalulekileyo kukuba uYehova wayemnceda ukuba ahlale ethembekile kuye.—Mat. 4:4.

9. Ziintoni ezenziwa nguYehova ezazibonisa ukuba nguTata omthandayo nomkhathaleleyo uYesu?

⁹ Ekubeni enguTata omthandayo uNyana wakhe, uYehova wayeqiniseka ukuba uYesu uyazi ukuba uyamnceda. (Mat. 26:53; Yoh. 8:16) Ngoxa wayengamkhuseli kuzo zonke izinto ezibuhlungu, wayemnceda anyamezele. UYesu wayesazi ukuba izinto ezibuhlungu ezenzeka kuye ziyadlula. (Heb. 12:2) UYehova wambonisa  ukuba uyamthanda uYesu kuba wayemmamela, emnika izinto azidingayo, emfundisa kwaye emnceda. (Yoh. 5:20; 8:28) Ngoku makhe sibone indlela uTata wethu osezulwini asithanda ngayo.

10. INdumiso 66:19, 20 ithi yintoni ebonisa ukuba uYehova uyasithanda?

¹⁰ UYehova uyayimamela imithandazo yethu. (Funda iNdumiso 66:19, 20.) Akafuni sithandaze ngamaxesha athile, uthi masithandaze qho. (1 Tes. 5:17) Sinokuthandaza nangaliphi na ixesha, nokuba siphi. Akasoze athi akazusimamela kuba exakekile. Xa sibona ukuba uyayiphendula imithandazo yethu, siya simthanda. Umdumisi wathi: “Ndiyamthanda uYehova kuba uyaliva ilizwi lam.”—INdu. 116:1.

11. UYehova uyiphendula njani imithandazo yethu?

¹¹ UTata wethu akasimameli nje kuba efuna ukusiva, kodwa uyayiphendula imithandazo yethu. Umpostile uYohane usiqinisekisa ngala mazwi: “[UThixo] uyasiva xa sicela nantoni na evumelana nokuthanda kwakhe.” (1 Yoh. 5:14, 15) UYehova usenokungayiphenduli ngendlela esifuna ngayo imithandazo yethu. Uyayazi eyona nto siyidingayo, ngoko ngamanye amaxesha usenokungasiniki into esiyicelayo okanye afune silinde.—2 Kor. 12:7-9.

12-13. Ziintoni esizenzelwa nguTata wethu osezulwini?

¹² UYehova usinika zonke izinto esizidingayo. Wenza into afuna yenziwe ngabo bonke ootata. (1 Tim. 5:8) Unika abantwana bakhe izinto abazidingayo. Akafuni sibe nexhala lokuba siza kutya ntoni, sinxibe ntoni okanye sihlale phi. (Mat. 6:32, 33; 7:11) Ekubeni enguTata osithandayo, uye waqiniseka ukuba siza kufumana yonke into esiyidingayo.

¹³ Eyona nto ibalulekileyo kukuba uYehova usinika izinto eziza kusinceda ukuze ahlale esithanda. KwiLizwi lakhe usixelela inyaniso ngaye, injongo yakhe, isizathu sokuba siphila nokuba yintoni eza kwenzeka kwixesha elizayo. Usebenzise abazali okanye abanye abantu ukuba basifundise ngaye. Sincedwa nangabadala okanye abazalwana noodade abanokholo. UYehova uyasifundisa nakwiintlanganiso, apho siba kunye nabazalwana noodadewethu. Ngezi ndlela nezinye, usibonisa ukuba nguTata onomdla kuthi.—INdu. 32:8.

14. Kutheni uYehova esiqeqesha, ibe usiqeqesha njani?

¹⁴ UYehova uyasifundisa. UYesu wayefezekile, kodwa thina asifezekanga. Enye indlela asifundisa ngayo uTata wethu osithandayo kukusiqeqesha. ILizwi lakhe lithi: “UYehova uyamohlwaya umntu amthandayo.” (Heb. 12:6, 7) UYehova usiqeqesha ngeendlela ezininzi. Ngokomzekelo, sisenokulungiswa yinto esiyifunda kwiLizwi lakhe okanye esiyiva kwiintlanganiso. Okanye sisenokuncedwa ngabadala. Nokuba uYehova usiqeqesha njani, usoloko esiqeqesha kuba esithanda.—Yer. 30:11.

15. UYehova usinceda njani?

¹⁵ UYehova uyasinceda xa sineengxaki. NjengoTata onceda abantwana bakhe xa besezingxakini, uTata wethu osezulwini uyasinceda xa sineengxaki. Usebenzisa umoya wakhe oyingcwele  ukuze asincede kuyo nantoni na enokusahlukanisa naye. (Luka 11:13) Uyasinceda naxa sityhafile. Ngokomzekelo, usinika ithemba elingenakufaniswa nanto. Eli themba lisinceda sikwazi ukunyamezela iingxaki. Nokuba ibuhlungu kangakanani na into eyenzeka kuthi, uTata wethu osithandayo uza kuyiphelisa loo ntlungu. Zonke iingxaki esinazo ngoku ziza kuphela, kodwa zona iintsikelelo asinika zona uYehova, soze ziphele, ziza kuhlala zikho ngonaphakade.—2 Kor. 4:16-18.

16. Kwenzeka ntoni kuAdam xa engazange amthobele uTata wakhe osezulwini?

¹⁶ UYehova usithanda nyhani. Loo nto siyibona kwinto awayenzayo xa abazali bethu bokuqala bengazange bamthobele. Xa uAdam engazange amthobele uTata wakhe wasezulwini, yena nenzala yakhe bayeka ukuba ngabantwana bakaYehova. (Roma 5:12; 7:14) Wenza ntoni uYehova?

17. Emva kokuba uAdam onile, wenza ntoni uYehova?

¹⁷ UYehova wamohlwaya uAdam, kodwa inzala yakhe akazange ayishiye njee, ingenathemba. Ngoko nangoko wathembisa ukuba abantu abamthobelayo uza kubabuyisela kwintsapho yakhe. (Gen. 3:15; Roma 8:20, 21) Wayenza le nto ngedini lentlawulelo loNyana wakhe amthandayo, uYesu. Ngokunikela ngoNyana wakhe, wasibonisa indlela asithanda ngayo.—Yoh. 3:16.

18. Kutheni simele siqiniseke ukuba nokuba singamshiya uYehova, usafuna sibe ngabantwana bakhe?

¹⁸ Ngoxa singafezekanga, uYehova ufuna sibe yintsapho yakhe ibe akazange  acinge ukuba ukusinceda kuyamsokolisa. Sinokumtyhafisa okanye simshiye, kodwa akasincami. UYesu wazekelisa indlela uYehova asithanda ngayo ngebali lonyana owemka ekhaya. (Luka 15:11-32) Utata okweli bali wayesoloko enethemba lokuba ngenye imini unyana wakhe uza kubuya. Ukuba siye samshiya uYehova saza saguquka, simele siqiniseke ukuba uTata wethu osithandayo uza kusamkela.

19. UYehova uza kuwulungisa njani umonakalo owenziwa nguAdam?

¹⁹ UTata wethu uza kuwulungisa wonke umonakalo owenziwa nguAdam. Emva kokuba uAdam onile, uYehova wakhetha abantu abayi-144 000 emhlabeni, abaza kuba ngookumkani nababingeleli kunye noNyana wakhe. UYesu kunye nabo bayi-144 000, baza kunceda abantu abathobelayo ukuba bafezeke kwihlabathi elitsha. Emva kokuba ukuthobela kwabo kuvavanywe okokugqibela, uThixo uza kubenza baphile ngonaphakade. UTata wethu uza kuvuya kakhulu xa ebona umhlaba ugcwele ngoonyana neentombi zakhe ezifezekileyo. Kuya kuba mnandi nyhani ngelo xesha.

20. Zeziphi iindlela uYehova abonise ngazo ukuba usithanda nyhani, ibe siza kufunda ngantoni kwinqaku elilandelayo?

²⁰ UYehova usibonisile ukuba usithanda nyhani. Ungoyena Tata ubodlula bonke. Uyayimamela imithandazo yethu, asinike izinto esizidingayo aze asincede ukuze sihlale sithandwa nguye. Uyasiqeqesha aze asincede. Usibekele iintsikelelo eziza kusivuyisa kakhulu. Kuyasonwabisa ukwazi ukuba uTata wethu uyasithanda kwaye usikhathalele. Kwinqaku elilandelayo siza kufunda ngeendlela esinokumbulela ngazo thina bantwana bakhe abathandayo.