1. Kungani kumele silalele isixwayiso sikaJesu?

NGESIKHATHI uJesu ephrofetha ngezinsuku zokucina wathi: ‘Nanzelelani izinhliziyo zenu zingakhulelwa zinkathazo zokuphila.’ (Luk. 21:34) Kumele sisilalele isixwayiso lesi ngoba sikhathazwa yizinto ezihlupha abantu bonke.

2. Yiziphi inhlupho ezehlela abafowethu labodadewethu?

² Kwezinye izikhathi singathi siphakathi kolunye uhlupho siphinde sehlelwe ngolunye. Ngokwesibonelo, umzalwane okuthiwa nguJohn * olomkhuhlane ophambanisa ukusebenza kuhle kwengqondo lomgogodla (multiple sclerosis) waphelelwa futhi wadana kakhulu ngesikhathi ebalekelwa ngumkakhe ngemva kweminyaka engu-19 betshadile. Kanti njalo amadodakazi akhe amabili atshiya ukukhonza uJehova. UBob lomkakhe uLinda bona behlelwa zinhlupho ezitshiyene lezikaJohn. Baphelelwa yimisebenzi njalo kwasekumele basuke endlini ababehlala kuyo ngoba babengasenelisi ukuyibhadalela. ULinda waphinda wabanjwa umkhuhlane wenhliziyo owawungambulala njalo waba lomunye umkhuhlane owawusuhlasela amasotsha omzimba.

3. UFiliphi 4:6, 7 usitshelani ngoJehova?

³ Sileqiniso lokuthi uJehova uMdali wethu uyayizwisisa indlela esizizwa ngayo nxa sikhathazekile. UnguBaba wethu osithandayo njalo uyafuna ukusincedisa ukuthi silwisane lenhlupho ezisehlelayo. (Bala uFiliphi 4:6, 7.) ILizwi likaNkulunkulu lilezindaba ezinengi ezikhuluma ngobunzima izinceku zakhe ezabubekezelelayo. Liyasitshela lokuthi uJehova  wazincedisa njani. Asixoxeni ngezinye izibonelo.

4. Yibuphi ubunzima obehlela u-Elija futhi kuyini ayengakuthandabuzi ngoJehova?

⁴ U-Elija wakhonza uJehova ngezikhathi ezinzima futhi wake waba phakathi kwelitshe lembokodo. Enye yamakhosi ako-Israyeli angathembekanga u-Ahabi yathatha umfazi okuthiwa nguJezebeli owayelolunya njalo ekhonza uBhali. Bobabili benza isizwe sako-Israyeli sakhonza uBhali njalo babulala abaphrofethi bakaJehova abanengi. U-Elija wenelisa ukuphunyuka futhi kazange abulawe yindlala eyayikhona elizweni ngenxa yokuthi wayethembele kuJehova. (1 AmaKho. 17:2-4, 14-16) Wathembela kuJehova langesikhathi ephikiswa ngabaphrofethi bakaBhali lalabo ababekhonza unkulunkulu lo. Wakhuthaza ama-Israyeli ukuthi akhonze uJehova. (1 AmaKho. 18:21-24, 36-38) U-Elija wayelobufakazi obunengi bokuthi uJehova wayemsekela futhi emvikela ngezikhathi ezinzima.

5-6. U-1 AmaKhosi 19:1-4 uveza ukuthi u-Elija wayezizwa njani futhi uJehova watshengisa njani ukuthi uyamthanda?

⁵ Bala u-1 AmaKhosi 19:1-4. Kodwa u-Elija wesaba ngesikhathi iNdlovukazi uJezebeli ifunga ukuthi izambulala. Yikho wabaleka waya eBherisheba. Wadana kakhulu waze “wakhulekela ukuthi ngabe uyafa.” Kungani wadana kangako? U-Elija wayelesono njalo “wayengumuntu olemizwa enjengeyethu.” (Jak. 5:17) Kungenzeka wayesekhulelwe yikukhathazeka njalo  esedinwe kakhulu. Kukhanya wayesecabanga ukuthi wayedlalise isikhathi ezama ukunceda abantu ukuthi bakhonze uJehova ngoba izinto azizange zibe ngcono ko-Israyeli. Wayesecabanga lokuthi nguye yedwa owayelokhu ekhonza uJehova. (1 AmaKho. 18:3, 4, 13; 19:10, 14) Kungasimangalisa ukuthi umphrofethi lo othembekileyo wacabanga izinto ezinjalo. Kodwa uJehova wayizwisisa indlela u-Elija ayezizwa ngayo.

⁶ UJehova kazange amtshingele u-Elija ngenxa yokuveza indlela ayezizwa ngayo kodwa wamncedisa ukuthi aphinde abe lamandla. (1 AmaKho. 19:5-7) Ngemva kwesikhathi wamsiza ukuthi alungisise indlela ayecabanga ngayo ngokumtshengisa amandla akhe amakhulu. Wamtshela lokuthi kwakuseselabantu abangu-7 000 ababengazange bavume ukukhonza uBhali. (1 AmaKho. 19:11-18) UJehova wenza lokhu ukuze atshengise u-Elija ukuthi uyamthanda.

7. Indlela uJehova anceda ngayo u-Elija yenza siqiniseke ngani?

⁷ Kukhona yini okwenza ungabuquthi ubuthongo? Kuyasiduduza sibili ukwazi ukuthi uJehova wayizwisisa indlela u-Elija ayezizwa ngayo ngoba kwenza sibe leqiniso lokuthi uyakuzwisisa lokwethu ukukhathazeka. Uyakwazi esingakwenza lalokho esingenelisi ukukwenza kanye lesikucabangayo lendlela esizizwa ngayo. (Hubo. 103:14; 139:3, 4) Uzasinceda silwisane lokusikhathazayo nxa singamthemba njengo-Elija.​—Hubo. 55:22.

8. UJehova uzakunceda njani nxa ukhathazekile?

⁸ Ukukhathazeka kungenza ucabange ukuthi izinto kazisoze zibe ngcono besekubangela ukuthi udane. Nxa lokho kungenzakala kuwe ungalibali ukuthi uJehova uzakunceda. Uzakunceda njani? Ukucela ukuthi umtshele okukuhluphayo lendlela ozizwa ngayo. Kanti njalo uzakuphendula nxa ucela usizo. (Hubo. 5:3; 1 Phet. 5:7) Yikho hlala uthandaza kuJehova umtshela okukuhluphayo. Kasoze akhulume lawe ngendlela akhuluma ngayo lo-Elija kodwa uzasebenzisa iLizwi lakhe iBhayibhili kanye lenhlanganiso yakhe. Izindaba ozibala eBhayibhilini zingakududuza futhi zikwenze ube lethemba. Abafowenu labodadewenu ebandleni labo bangakukhuthaza.​—Rom. 15:4; Heb. 10:24, 25.

9. Umngane esimthembayo angasinceda njani?

⁹ UJehova watshela u-Elija ukuthi anike u-Elisha eminye imisebenzi ayekade eyenza. Wayesemnike umngane omuhle owayezamsekela nxa edane kakhulu. Nxa lathi singaxoxela umngane esimthembayo lokho okusikhathazayo uzasisekela ngesikhathi sidane kakhulu. (2 AmaKho. 2:2; Zaga. 17:17) Nxa ucabanga ukuthi akulamuntu ongamtshela izinto ezikukhathazayo khuleka kuJehova umcele akunike umngane oqinileyo ekukhonzeni ongakunceda lapho ukhathazekile.

10. Okwenzakala ku-Elija kusinceda njani futhi isithembiso esiku-Isaya 40:28, 29 sisiqinisa njani?

¹⁰ UJehova wanceda u-Elija ukuthi alwisane lokukhathazeka lokuthi amkhonze ethembekile okweminyaka eminengi. Okwenzakala ku-Elija kwenza sibe lethemba. Kwezinye izikhathi singakhathazeka size siphele amandla. Kodwa uJehova uzasinika amandla okuthi siqhubeke simkhonza nxa singamthemba.​—Bala u-Isaya 40:28, 29.

11-13. Izinceku zikaNkulunkulu ezintathu zazikhathazwa yini futhi lokho kwabangelani?

¹¹ Bakhona abanye okukhulunywa ngabo eBhayibhilini abakhathazeka kakhulu.  Ngokwesibonelo, uHana wayekhathazwa yikuthi wayeyinyumba lokuthi unyanewabo wayehlala emeyisa. (1 Sam. 1:2, 6) Lokhu kwabangela ukuthi ezwe ubuhlungu obukhulu okokuthi zasezihlala ziwohloka lenhliziyo isimnyama.​—1 Sam. 1:7, 10.

¹² Ngezinye izikhathi iNkosi uDavida yayikhulelwa yikukhathazeka. Ngokwesibonelo, yazithonisisa kakhulu ngenxa yamaphutha amanengi eyayiwenzile. (Hubo. 40:12) Indodana yayo ethandekayo u-Abhsalomi yamhlamukela futhi yacina ibulewe. (2 Sam. 15:13, 14; 18:33) UDavida waphinda wathengiswa ngomunye wabangane bakhe abaseduze. (2 Sam. 16:23–17:2; Hubo. 55:12-14) Amahubo amanengi awabhalayo aveza ukukhathazeka kwakhe njalo atshengisa ukuthi wayemthemba ngenhliziyo yonke uJehova.​—Hubo. 38:5-10; 94:17-19.

¹³ Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi omunye umhubi waqalisa ukuhawukela indlela abantu ababi ababephila ngayo. Kungenzeka wayengowosendo lomLevi okuthiwa ngu-Asafi njalo wayesebenza “endlini engcwele kaNkulunkulu.” Umhubi lo wakhathazeka futhi lokhu kwenza wangathokozi njalo wangasuthiseki. Wayesecabanga lokuthi ukukhonza uNkulunkulu akumncedi kangako.​—Hubo. 73:2-5, 7, 12-14, 16, 17, 21.

14-15. Kuyini esikufunda ezibonelweni ezintathu eziseBhayibhilini?

¹⁴ Izinceku zikaJehova ezintathu esisanda kukhuluma ngazo zazithembe yena ukuthi azincedise. Zakhuleka kuye zimtshela okuzihluphayo. Zamtshela konke okwakuzenza zikhathazeke futhi kazizange ziyekele ukuyakhonza endlini kaJehova.​—1 Sam. 1:9, 10; Hubo. 55:22; 73:17; 122:1.

¹⁵ UJehova wazitshengisa uzwelo izinceku zakhe. Wanceda uHana ukuthi  ahlaliseke. (1 Sam. 1:18) UDavida wabhala wathi: “Umuntu olungileyo angaba lezinhlupheko ezinengi, kodwa uJehova uyamkhulula kuzo zonke.” (Hubo. 34:19) Umhubi yena wathi uJehova ‘wayembambe isandla sakhe sokunene’ emkhokhela ngokweluleka okulothando. Wahlabela wathi: “Mina kimi kuhle ukuba seduze loNkulunkulu. Sengenze uJehova Wobukhosi isiphephelo sami.” (Hubo. 73:23, 24, 28) Kuyini esikufundayo ezibonelweni lezi? Ngezinye izikhathi sizakwehlelwa zinhlupho ezinkulu ezizasenza sikhathazeke. Kodwa singenelisa ukubekezela nxa singacabangisisa ngendlela uJehova ancedise ngayo abanye futhi simthembe ngokuthandaza langokulalela lokho athi sikwenze.​—Hubo. 143:1, 4-8.

16-17. (a) Kungani kungamelanga sizehlukanise loJehova labantu bakhe? (b) Singawavuselela njani amandla ethu?

¹⁶ Okunye esikufundayo ezibonelweni lezi ezintathu yikuthi akumelanga sizehlukanise loJehova labantu bakhe. (Zaga. 18:1, NW) UNancy owakhathazeka kakhulu ngenxa yokubalekelwa ngumkakhe wathi: “Izikhathi ezinengi ngangingafuni ukubona umuntu phansi kwami kumbe  ukukhuluma laye. Kodwa lokhu kwangenza ngadana kakhulu.” Izinto zantshintsha ngesikhathi uNancy eseqalise ukunceda abanye ababesebunzimeni. Uthi: “Ngangilalela nxa abanye bengilandisela ngobunzima abaphakathi kwabo. Ngananzelela ukuthi ukuba lendaba labanye kwakusenza ngingakhathazeki kakhulu ngenhlupho zami.”

¹⁷ Ukungena imihlangano yebandla kusivuselela amandla. Nxa sisemhlanganweni siyabe sinika uJehova elinye ithuba lokuthi ‘asisize njalo asiduduze.’ (Hubo. 86:17) Uyasiqinisa esebenzisa umoya wakhe ongcwele, iLizwi lakhe kanye labantu bakhe. Kanti njalo nxa sisemihlanganweni ‘siyakhuthazana.’ (Rom. 1:11, 12) Udadewethu okuthiwa nguSophia wathi: “UJehova kanye labazalwane banginceda ukuthi ngiqinisele. Engangikuqakathekisa kakhulu yikungena imihlangano yebandla. Senginanzelele ukuthi ukukhuthala ekutshumayeleni lasebandleni kuyanginceda ngilwisane lokukhathazeka.”

18. UJehova usinikani nxa sikhathazekile?

¹⁸ Nxa sikhathazekile kumele sikhumbule ukuthi uJehova usithembisa ukuthi uzasincedisa silwisane lokukhathazeka khathesi lokuthi esikhathini esizayo uzakuqeda du kungaphindi kube khona. Usinika “isifiso lamandla” ukuze silwisane lokukhathazeka kanye lokuphelelwa lithemba.—Flp. 2:13.

19. URoma 8:37-39 usiqinisekisa ngani?

¹⁹ Bala uRoma 8:37-39. Umphostoli uPhawuli usiqinisekisa ngokuthi akulalutho olungasehlukanisa lothando lukaNkulunkulu. Singabanceda njani abafowethu labodadewethu abazama ukulwisana lokukhathazeka? Esihlokweni esilandelayo sizahlola ukuthi singamlingisela njani uJehova endabeni yokuba lozwelo lokusekela abafowethu labodadewethu nxa bekhathazekile.