“Buyelani Kimi, Ngiyakubuyela Kini”
UMKHAYA wawujabulela ukushaywa umoya okujabulisayo ehlathini. Khona-ke, uPeter, uthunjana, wanhlanhlatha, wehla intaba ejaha ingwejeje. Ngokushesha, isibhakabhaka sagcwala amafu, futhi imvula yaqala ukuna. Ekuqaleni kwakuwumkhemezelo, kodwa kancane kancane yaba isikhukhula. Umkhaya waqoqa ngokushesha izimpahla zawo wagijima waya emotweni yawo. Futhi wonke umuntu wazibuza ukuthi uPeter ukuphi.
Ngalesosikhathi, uPeter wayezama ukubuyela lapho umkhaya wawukhona. Kwakunzima ukubona phambili, futhi indlela ekhuphuka entabeni yayishibilika ngenxa yemvula. Ngokungalindelekile, kwaba sengathi unyathela umoya njengoba ayekhubeka engena emgodini ojulile, ocashile. Wazama ukuphuma, kodwa izindonga zazishibilika kakhulu.
Amanzi emvula ehla entabeni futhi agcwalisa umgodi ngodaka. UPeter wayesengozini yangempela yokuminza. Kodwa uyise wamthola futhi wamdonsela ngaphandle ngentambo. Kamuva, uPeter wathethiswa kakhulu ngokuzula kwakhe. Nokho, njengoba ayesongwe ngezingubo zokulala esezandleni zikanina, kwakulula kakhulu ukwamukela ukuthethiswa.
Lokhu okuhlangenwe nakho kukubonisa kahle lokho okwenzekayo kwabanye ababephakathi kwabantu bakaNkulunkulu. Baye bawela emgodini ojulile walesimiso sezinto futhi bazama kakhulu ukuphuma futhi babuyele ekulondekeni kwenhlangano kaJehova. Yeka indlela okuthokozisa ngayo ukwazi ukuthi uJehova unesihe futhi ukulungele ‘ukwehlisa intambo’ abasize babuyele ekulondekeni!
Ukusebenzelana KukaJehova Nabantu Okunesihe
Emuva ezinsukwini zikaIsrayeli, ekupheleni kokwakhiwa kwethempeli, uSolomoni wenza umthandazo wokunikezela ancenga kuwo uJehova ukuba alalele izicelo eziphathelene nethempelini. Wayesethi: “Uma bona kuwe [amaIsrayeli]—ngokuba akukho-muntu ongoniyo—besewubathukuthelela wena, ubanikele esitheni, . . . kepha bese becabanga ezweni lapho bethunjelwe khona, baphenduke, banxuse kuwe ezweni lababathumbayo . . . mawuzwe wena ezulwini, indawo yakho yokuhlala, umkhuleko wabo nokunxusa kwabo.”—1 AmaKhosi 8:46-49.
Ukunxusa kukaSolomoni kwagcwaliseka ezikhathini eziningi phakathi nomlando kaIsrayeli. Ngokuphindaphindiwe, abantu bakaNkulunkulu bachezuka futhi bamlahla. Kamuva, balibona iphutha labo futhi babuya, bamfuna. Futhi uJehova wabathethelela. (Duteronomi 4:31; Isaya 44:21, 22; 2 Korinte 1:3; Jakobe 5:11) NgoMalaki, uJehova wayichaza ngamafuphi iminyaka eyinkulungwane yokusebenzelana nabantu baKhe lapho ethi: “Kusukela emihleni yawoyihlo nichezukile ezimisweni zami, anizigcinanga. Buyelani kimi, ngiyakubuyela kini.”—Malaki 3:7.
Izimbangela Zokukhubeka
NjengamaIsrayeli, abantu abaningi bakaNkulunkulu namuhla bayachezuka futhi bazihlukanise nenhlangano kaJehova. Kungani? Abanye balandela into ebukeka ilungile ekuqaleni, njengoPeter ejaha ingwejeje. Yilokhu okwenzeka ngoAda. Uyabika: “Kwakuwumkhuba ukuba sonke esisebenza ndawonye siyodla ukudla kwasemini ndawonye endaweni yokudlela eseduze ngesikhathi sasemini. Ngakho lapho bengimema ukuba siyophuza inkomishi yekhofi ekupheleni kosuku, kwakungenzima ukuba ngivume. Ngathatha ngokuthi ngangingasebenzisi isikhathi okufanele sisetshenziselwe imihlangano noma ukushumayela. Angizange ngiqaphele ukuthi lokhu kungase kube ukwehluleka ukugcina isimiso esikweyoku-1 Korinte 15:33.
“Ngokushesha, ngase ngihamba nabo siyogibela amahhashi ngeMigqibelo. Kamuva ngase ngiya nabo emabhayisikobho nasemidlalweni yasesiteji. Lokho kwaholela ekulahlekelweni kwami eminye imihlangano. Ekugcineni, ngangingasayi kunoma yimuphi umhlangano futhi ngingasahlanganyeli emsebenzini wokushumayela. Lapho ngiqaphela lokho okwakwenzeka, ngangingasahlanganyeli nhlobo nenhlangano.”
Ngezinye izikhathi kungabangelwa isono esingathi sína esifihliwe esenza umuntu azizwe engakufanelekeli ukukhonza uNkulunkulu. (IHubo 32:3-5) Noma umuntu angase akhutshwe into eyashiwo noma eyenziwa abangane abangamaKristu, engaqondi, njengoba uSolomoni asho, ukuthi “akukho-muntu ongoniyo.”—1 AmaKhosi 8:46; Jakobe 3:2.
Abanye futhi bayadumazeka lapho bethola isiyalo. (Heberu 12:7, 11) Ukukhangwa izindlela zokuphila kokuthanda izinto ezibonakalayo kuye kwaholela abaningi ekuyekeni ukukhonza uNkulunkulu. Ngokuvamile, befuna impumelelo engokwezwe, baye bangena shí emsebenzini wokuziphilisa kangangokuthi iye yangababikho indawo yenkonzo kaNkulunkulu ekuphileni kwabo. (Mathewu 13:4-9; 1 Thimothewu 6:9, 10) Ingabe isimo sabantu abanjalo asinathemba?
Ingabe Uyosabela Esimemweni SikaJehova?
Ngesinye isikhathi uJesu washo okuthile okwakunzima ukukuqonda, futhi abanye bakhubeka. Umbhalo ogciniwe uthi: “Abaningi babafundi bakhe babuyela emuva, ababe besahamba naye.” Kodwa akubona bonke abakhubeka. Ukulandisa kweBhayibheli kuyaqhubeka: “UJesu wathi kwabayishumi nambili: Nani nithanda ukumuka na? USimoni Petru wamphendula wathi: Nkosi, siyakuya kubani na? Amazwi okuphila okuphakade akuwe.” (Johane 6:66-68) Abaphostoli bakaJesu baqonda ngokuhlakanipha ukuthi kwakuyoba okubhubhisayo ukushiya uJesu.
Abanye abaphambukayo ekugcineni bafinyelela esiphethweni esifanayo. Bayaqaphela ukuthi ukushiya inhlangano kaNkulunkulu kwakuyisinyathelo esibhubhisayo ukuba basithathe nokuthi bayowathola kuJehova noKristu kuphela amazwi aholela ekuphileni. Lapho befinyelela ekukuqapheleni lokhu, kufanele baqaphele futhi ukuthi akukephuzi kakhulu ukucabanga kabusha, bacele intethelelo kuJehova, futhi babuyele kuye. NguJehova ngokwakhe owanikeza lesimemo: “Buyelani kimi, ngiyakubuyela kini.”—Malaki 3:7.
Ngempela, umKristu oqotho angayithola kuphi injabulo uma kungekhona ekukhonzeni uJehova? Uma umuntu ekhukhuleka ngemva kokuba ebe yingxenye yenhlangano kaNkulunkulu isikhathi esithile, yini emlindele ngaphandle ezweni? Uyoqaphela ngokushesha ukuthi manje useyingxenye yezwe eliya liba nobudlova ngokwengeziwe. Uyozithola ehileleke esimisweni sezinto esigcwele ubuzenzisi, amanga, ukukhwabanisa, nokuziphatha okuxekethile, izwe eliyingozi nelingajabulisi njengomgodi wodaka owasongela ukuphila kukaPeter osemncane. Lapho esanguluka futhi eqaphela ukuthi ukuphila kwakhe okuphakade kusengozini, kufanele angachithi sikhathi ekufuneni usizo ukuze azikhiphe kulesimo. Nakuba kunjalo, ukubuya kungase kungabi lula.
Ingabe ungomunye oye wazama ukubuyela kuJehova kodwa wakuthola kunzima? Khona-ke yazi ukuthi udinga usizo. Futhi qiniseka ngokuthi abafowenu nodadewenu enhlanganweni kaNkulunkulu bazimisele ukukusiza. Kodwa kumelwe wenze umzamo wokubonisa uJehova isifiso sakho. Yisikhathi ‘sokucabanga’ futhi ‘uphendukele kuJehova.’—1 AmaKhosi 8:47.
Basizwa Ukuba Babuye
UAda uchaza lokho okwamsiza ukuba abuyele kuJehova: “Ngesikhathi esifanele, udade owayengifundela wangimema ukuba ngiye naye emhlanganweni wesifunda. Wayenomoya omuhle! Futhi akazange angisole nhlobo! Wabonisa uthando olukhulu. Kwase kudlule unyaka selokhu ngagcina ukuya emhlanganweni, kodwa ngangikade ngizindla ngokungabi nanzuzo kwezwe nangeqiniso lokuthi, ngalé kobukhazikhazi, kwakunokudabuka, ukukhungatheka, nokuziphatha okuxekethile. Ngakho nganquma ukuya emhlanganweni. Lapho ngifika ehholo lapho wawukhona, ngaya emgqeni wokugcina wezihlalo futhi ngacasha ekhoneni elimnyama. Ngangingafuni ukuba abazalwane bangibone futhi bangibuze imibuzo.
“Nokho, isimiso sanikeza iseluleko engangisidinga kakhulu. Lapho usuphelile, angizange nje kuphela ngizimisele ukubuyela kubantu bakaJehova kodwa futhi nokuzinikela kuyena ngenhliziyo yami yonke. Abazalwane bangemukela ngezandla ezifudumele futhi ‘owayelahlekile’ wabuya.” (Luka 15:11-24) Konke lokho kwenzeka esikhathini esithile esedlule, futhi uAda manje sekuyisikhathi esingaphezu kweminyaka engu-25 esenkonzweni yesikhathi esigcwele.
Indaba yomunye umuntu owanhlanhlatha yaba nomphumela ofanayo ojabulisayo. Abadala abathile banikeza uJosé iseluleko esasibonisa ukucabanga kwabo siqu ngaphezu kwezimiso zeBhayibheli. Ekugcineni uJosé, ephele amandla futhi egcwele inzondo, waphola. Eminyakeni eyisishiyagalombili wayehlukanisiwe nabantu bakaNkulunkulu, futhi kulesosikhathi washada nongakholwa futhi waba ubaba wezingane, avumela eyodwa yazo ukuba ibhapathizwe eSontweni LamaKatolika.
Ekugcineni, wasizakala lapho umbonisi wesifunda enza ukuhambela kokwelusa kuye futhi wakhuthaza abadala ukuba benze okufanayo. Wavuselelwa futhi wajabulela ukubona umkakhe eba nesithakazelo eqinisweni. Manje uJosé ukhonza njengomdala ebandleni. Njengoba lokhu okuhlangenwe nakho okubili kubonisa, uJehova akazigodli izibusiso kulabo abasabela esimemweni sakhe sothando sokuba babuye.
Nokho, ukuze ajabulele izibusiso ezinjalo, umuntu kumelwe aqale alwazise usizo olunikezwayo futhi asabele kulo. Emabandleni amaningi abazalwane bakhumbula labo asebepholile futhi babavakashele ngezikhathi ezithile, bezama ukubasiza. Ukusabela osizweni olunjalo kubonisa ukwazisa ngesihe sikaJehova.—Jakobe 5:19, 20.
Eqinisweni, lesi yisikhathi sokusabela esimemweni sikaJehova: “Buyelani kimi.” (Malaki 3:7; Isaya 1:18) Ungabe usalibala. Izenzakalo zezwe zihamba ngesivinini esiphawulekayo. Indawo engcono kakhulu ongaba kuyo ezikhathini zesivunguvungu ezingaphambili inhlangano kaJehova, ulondekile ngaphansi kwesivikelo sakhe. Yilabo kuphela abaphephela kuJehova abanethemba eliqinile lokuba bacashiswe entukuthelweni yakhe ngosuku olukhulu lolaka lwakhe.—Zefaniya 2:2, 3.
[Isithombe ekhasini 30]
Ingabe uyosabela esimemweni sikaJehova esithi, “Buyelani kimi”?