1, 2. Abanye abantu bacabangani ngoNkulunkulu?

ABANTU abanengi bacabanga ukuthi uNkulunkulu kazikhathazi ngalokho abakwenzayo futhi labo kabazihluphi ngalokho yena akwenzayo. Kanti njalo abanye bakholwa ukuthi uNkulunkulu kalandaba kangako lezinto ezenzakala ekuphileni kwethu. Ngemva kwesiphepho iSuper Typhoon Haiyan, esabangela umonakalo omkhulu enkabazwe yelizwe lasePhilippines ngoNovember 2013, umeya welinye idolobho elikhulu kulelolizwe wathi: “Kumele ukuthi uNkulunkulu ubekwenye indawo.”

² Abanye abantu benza angani uNkulunkulu kakuboni abakwenzayo. (Isaya. 26:10, 11; 3 Joh. 11) Banjengalabo umphostoli uPhawuli akhuluma ngabo lapho esithi: ‘Kabazange bacabange ukuthi kufanele bagcine ukumazi uNkulunkulu.’ Abantu abanjalo ‘babegcwele ngokonakala konke, ububi, lobuhaga kanye lokuxhwala.’​—Rom. 1:28, 29.

3. (a) Yiphi imibuzo esingazibuza yona mayelana loNkulunkulu? (b) Amazwi athi ‘isandla’ sikaJehova ajayele ukusetshenziswa nxa kukhulunywa ngani?

³ Thina sitshiyene kakhulu labantu laba ngoba siyakunanzelela ukuthi uJehova uyakubona konke esikwenzayo. Kodwa siyakunanzelela yini lokuthi ulendaba lathi kanye lokuthi isandla sakhe siyasebenza ekuphileni kwethu? Kanti njalo singabanye balabo uJesu athi “bazabona  uNkulunkulu” yini? (Mat. 5:8) Ukuze sizwisise ukuthi lokhu kutshoni, kasiqaleni ngokuhlola izibonelo eziseBhayibhilini zabantu ababona isandla sikaNkulunkulu sisebenza lezalabo abangazange bafune ukusibona. Ngemva kwalokho sizafunda ngokuthi ukholo lwethu lungasinceda njani ukuthi sikubone ngokucacileyo ukusebenza kwesandla sikaJehova ekuphileni kwethu. Ngesikhathi sixoxa ngemicijo le singakhohlwa ukuthi iBhayibhili lijayele ukukhuluma “ngesandla” sikaNkulunkulu nxa lisitsho amandla akhe asebenzayo, amandla awasebenzisa ukunceda izinceku zakhe lokunqoba izitha zakhe.​—Bala uDutheronomi 26:8.

4. Kungani izitha zama-Israyeli zehluleka ukubona isandla sikaNkulunkulu?

⁴ Ekuqaliseni kwembali yama-Israyeli, abantu babelethuba lokubona lelokuzwa ukuthi uNkulunkulu wabasekela njani abantu bakhe. UJehova wabakhulula eGibhithe ngezimangaliso ezinkulu, njalo wanikela amakhosi amanengi ezandleni zabo. (Josh. 9:3, 9, 10) Lanxa amakhosi amanengi ayesentshonalanga kweJodani ayesezibonile njalo esezizwile izinto uJehova ayezenzile, ‘ahlangana ukuze alwise uJoshuwa labako-Israyeli.’ (Josh. 9:1, 2) Ngitsho lalapho eseqalisile ukulwa labo, kwakumele akubone ukuthi isandla sikaNkulunkulu sasisebenza. Ngamandla kaJehova, “ilanga lema lathi mpo, lenyanga yema isizwe saze saphindisela ezitheni zaso.” (Josh. 10:13) Kodwa uJehova ‘wenza izinhliziyo [zezitha lezi] zaba lukhuni zafuna ukulwa impi lo-Israyeli.’ (Josh. 11:20) Izitha lezi kazizange zikuvume ukuthi uNkulunkulu nguye owayelwela ama-Israyeli futhi lokhu kwabangela ukuthi zinqotshwe.

5. Kuyini iNkosi embi u-Ahabi engazange ikuvume?

⁵ INkosi embi u-Ahabi layo kwakumele isibone isandla sikaNkulunkulu ezintweni ezazisenzakala. U-Elija wayitshela wathi: ‘Akuyikuba lamazolo njalo akuyikuba lezulu ngaphandle kokuba ngitsho.’ (1 AmaKho. 17:1) Kwakulobufakazi obunengi bokuthi umbiko lo wawuvela kuJehova kodwa u-Ahabi kazange abuvume. Ngemva kwalokho u-Ahabi wabona umlilo uvela ezulwini lapho u-Elija ethandazela ukuthi uJehova atshise umhlatshelo wakhe. U-Elija watshengisa lokuthi uJehova wayezamisa indlala eyayikhona elizweni futhi athumele izulu. Watshela u-Ahabi wathi: ‘Suka lapho ungakavalelwa lizulu.’ (1 AmaKho. 18:22-45) U-Ahabi wakubona konke lokhu kusenzakala kodwa waqinisa ikhanda, kazange avume ukuthi kwakungamandla kaNkulunkulu amakhulu ayesebenza. Nansi isifundo esiqakathekileyo esisithola ezibonelweni esesixoxe ngazo: Kumele sizame ukuba lelihlo elibukhali elenelisa ukubona ukusebenza kwesandla sikaJehova.

6, 7. Kuyini okwabacacelayo abanye ababekhona ngesikhathi sikaJoshuwa?

⁶ Kulabanye abangazange benze njengamakhosi amabi esisanda kukhuluma ngawo, bona basibona isandla sikaNkulunkulu ezintweni ezazisenzakala. Ngokwesibonelo abaseGibheyoni bona kabazange balwe lama-Israyeli ngesikhathi sikaJoshuwa kodwa benza isivumelwano sokuthula lawo. Ngenxa yani? Bathi: ‘Izinceku zakho . . . zikhangwe yindumela kaJehova uNkulunkulu wenu. Phela sesezwa imibiko emayelana laye: lakho konke akwenzayo.’ (Josh. 9:3, 9, 10) Bahlakanipha ngoba bakunanzelela ukuthi owayelwela ama-Israyeli kwakunguNkulunkulu weqiniso.

⁷ URahabi laye wasibona isandla sikaNkulunkulu ngesikhathi sakhe. Ngemva kokuzwa indlela uJehova ayekhulule ngayo abantu bakhe, watshela izinhloli zako-Israyeli ezimbili wathi: “Ngiyazi ukuthi uJehova uselinike lelilizwe.” Lanxa ukutsho njalo kwakuyikuzidonsela amanzi ngomsele, watshengisa ukuthi wayekholwa sibili ukuthi uJehova wayezamsindisa yena labangakibo.​—Josh. 2:9-13; 4:23, 24.

8. Amanye ama-Israyeli asibona njani isandla sikaNkulunkulu?

⁸ Abanye abako-Israyeli ababekhona lapho uJehova ephendula umthandazo ka-Elija  ngokwehlisa umlilo basibona isandla sikaNkulunkulu, kabazange benze njengeNkosi embi u-Ahabi. Bathi bebona umlilo ovela kuJehova utshisa umhlatshelo ka-Elija bamemeza bathi: “UJehova​—nguye uNkulunkulu!” (1 AmaKho. 18:39) Kubo kwakusegcekeni ukuthi amandla la ayevela kuNkulunkulu.

9. Singambona njani uJehova kanye lesandla sakhe lamuhla?

⁹ Izibonelo ezinhle lezimbi esesixoxe ngazo ziyasinceda ukuthi sizwisise ukuthi kutshoni ukubona uNkulunkulu loba ukubona isandla sakhe. Nxa siqhubeka silwela ukumazi uNkulunkulu, sizakwenelisa ukubona isandla sakhe ngoba sizabe sesibubona ubuntu bakhe lezenzo zakhe ‘ngamehlo ezinhliziyo [zethu].’ (Efe. 1:​18) Akuthandabuzwa ukuthi lathi sifuna ukuba njengezinceku zikaJehova zasendulo lezalamuhla eseziyibone ngokucacileyo indlela uJehova asekela ngayo abantu bakhe. Loba kunjalo bukhona yini ubufakazi obutshengisa ukuthi isandla sikaNkulunkulu siyasebenza kithi lamuhla?

10. Kuyini okutshengisa ukuthi uJehova uyabanceda abantu lamuhla? (Khangela umfanekiso osekuqaliseni.)

¹⁰ Silezizatho ezinengi ezisenza sivume ukuthi uJehova ulokhu ebancedisa abantu. Kukanengi sisizwa ngezibonelo zabantu ababethandaza kuNkulunkulu bemdinga njalo baphendulwa. (Hubo. 53:2) U-Allan wathi etshumayela endlini ngendlu kwesinye isihlenge esincane esiselizweni lasePhilippines wathola omunye umama owathi embona waqalisa ukukhala. U-Allan uthi: “Mhlalokho ekuseni umama lo wakhuleka kuJehova edinga oFakazi. Wayeke wafunda labo iBhayibhili esakhula kodwa bacina bengasabonani ngoba wathi esetshadile wathuthela kulesosihlenge. Ngakho okwamthintayo yikuthi uNkulunkulu wawuphendula masinyane umthandazo wakhe.” Kusiyaphela umnyaka wayesenikele ukuphila kwakhe kuJehova.

11, 12. (a) UJehova uzincedisa njani izinceku zakhe? (b) Landisa ukuthi omunye waluthola njani usizo oluvela kuNkulunkulu.

¹¹ Izinceku zikaJehova ezinengi zibubonile ubufakazi bokuthi uyazincedisa ngesikhathi zisenelisa ukutshiya imikhuba engaphumi kalula enjengokubhema, ukusebenzisa kubi izidakamizwa loba ukubukela imifanekiso lamavidiyo abantu abasemacansini. Abanye bathi bakuzama kanengi ukuyitshiya imikhuba le kodwa behluleka. Kodwa lapho becela ukuthi uJehova abancedise wabanika ‘amandla amakhulukazi,’ futhi bacina beyinqoba imikhuba le.​—2 Khor. 4:7; Hubo. 37:23, 24.

¹² UJehova uncede lezinceku zakhe ezinengi ukuthi zilwisane lobuthakathaka bazo. Ngokwesibonelo u-Amy wathwala nzima lapho ekwesinye isihlenge esincane esisePacific ayethunyelwe kuso ukuthi ayephathisa emsebenzini wokwakha iWolu yoMbuso kanye lendawo eyayizahlala abanali. Uthi: “Sasihlala ewoteleni encane njalo nsuku zonke sasifika nzima endaweni esasisakha kuyo ngenxa yokuthi ezitaladini kwakuphithizela.” Kwakumele ajayele lamasiko endawo futhi amagetsi lamanzi kwakuhlala kuhambile. Uqhubeka esithi: “Okwangikhathaza kakhulu yikuthi ngaqabuka sengithethise omunye udade esasisebenza laye. Ngabuyela ngekhaya ngizisola kakhulu. Ngathi ngifika ewoteleni kungelamagetsi, ngangena ekamelweni lami ngakhuleka kuJehova ngicela ukuthi angincede.” Amagetsi athi ebuya u-Amy wafunda enye iNqabayokulinda eyayilesihloko esasiphathelane labafundi baseGileyadi ababephiwe izicoco zabo. Isihloko lesi sasikhuluma ngezinto zonke ayelwisana lazo: amasiko amatsha, ukukhumbula ekhaya, lokuzama ukujayela abantu abatsha. Uthi: “Ngalobobusuku kwakungani uJehova ukhuluma lami. Lokhu kwangikhuthaza ukuthi ngiqhubekele phambili ngomsebenzi engangiwabelwe.”​—Hubo. 44:25, 26; Isaya. 41:10, 13.

13. Yibuphi ubufakazi obutshengisa ukuthi uJehova uyabancedisa abantu bakhe ukuthi baphumelele ‘ukuvikela’ kanye ‘lokuqinisa ivangeli’ ngokusemthethweni?

¹³ Obunye ubufakazi obutshengisa ukuthi isandla  sikaJehova esilamandla siyasebenza yikuthi oFakazi bakaJehova baphumelele ‘ukuvikela’ kanye ‘lokuqinisa ivangeli’ ngokusemthethweni. (Flp. 1:7) Abanye ohulumende bazamile ukuwuvimba ngokupheleleyo umsebenzi wabantu bakaNkulunkulu. Kodwa nxa sikhangela obekusenzakala kusukela ngomnyaka ka-2 000, kuyasicacela ukuthi akulamuntu ongavimba isandla sikaNkulunkulu ngoba oFakazi bakaJehova banqobe amacala angaba ngu-268 emithethwandaba emikhulu, okugoqela angu-24 abawanqobe eMthethwandaba wase-Europe Olwela Amalungelo Oluntu, i-ECHR.​—Isaya. 54:17; bala u-Isaya 59:1.

14. Isandla sikaNkulunkulu sisibona njani emsebenzini wokutshumayela kanye lasendleleni esimanyene ngayo?

¹⁴ Okwenza umsebenzi wokutshumayela izindaba ezinhle emhlabeni wonke uphumelele yikuthi usekelwa nguNkulunkulu. (Mat. 24:14; ImiSeb. 1:8) Kanti njalo ukumanyana kwabantu bakaJehova abasemhlabeni wonke lamuhla kuyibufakazi besandla sakhe ngoba lokhu kakuvamanga emhlabeni lo esiphila kuwo. Yikho labantu abangamkhonziyo uJehova bevuma ukuthi: “UNkulunkulu impela uphakathi kwenu!” (1 Khor. 14:25) Ngakho silobufakazi obunengi obutshengisa ukuthi uNkulunkulu uyabasekela abantu bakhe. (Bala u-Isaya 66:14.) Kodwa kuthiwani ngawe? Uyasibona yini isandla sikaJehova empilweni yakho?

15. Chaza ukuthi kuyini okungenza ukuthi sicine singasasiboni ngokucacileyo isandla sikaJehova ekuphileni kwethu.

¹⁵ Kuyini okunye okungabangela ukuthi singasiboni ngokucacileyo isandla sikaNkulunkulu ekuphileni kwethu? Izinkathazo zokuphila zingasikhulela kakhulu sicine sesikhohlwa ukukhangela indlela uJehova abesisiza ngayo. Lapho iNdlovukazi uJezebeli isongela umphrofethi u-Elija ifuna ukumbulala, u-Elija walibala okwesikhatshana wakhohlwa indlela uNkulunkulu ayeke wamsekela ngayo. IBhayibhili lithi waze “wakhulekela ukuthi ngabe uyafa.” (1 AmaKho. 19:1-4) Kuyini okwakungamnceda u-Elija? Kwakumele eyame kuJehova ukuze athole isikhuthazo.​—1 AmaKho. 19:14-18.

16. Singenzani ukuze lathi simbone uNkulunkulu njengoJobe?

 ¹⁶ UJobe wakhulelwa yizinhlupho ayephakathi kwazo waze wehluleka ukubona izinto ngelihlo likaNkulunkulu. (Jobe. 42:3-6) Kodwa walwisa ngamandla onke ukuthi ambone uNkulunkulu. Lathi kwezinye izikhathi kungadingeka ukuthi senze njengaye. Singakwenza njani lokhu? Kumele sisebenzise iMibhalo ukuze sicabangisise ngalokho uJehova asenzele khona. Nxa singaqhubeka sikunanzelela ukuthi uJehova uyasisekela, uzakuba ngokoqobo kithi, kube angani siyambona ngamehlo ethu. NjengoJobe, lathi sizacina sisithi: “Izindlebe zami zasezizwile ngawe kodwa manje amehlo ami asekubonile.”

17, 18. (a) Singakubona njani ukuthi uJehova uyasincedisa ekuphileni kwethu? (b) Landisa okwenzakala komunye okutshengisa indlela uNkulunkulu asincedisa ngayo lamuhla.

¹⁷ Singasibona njani isandla sikaJehova? Nanzi ezinye izibonelo: Mhlawumbe indlela owathola ngayo iqiniso ikwenza uvume ukuthi uJehova nguye owayeqondisa izinto. Sewake wathi usemihlanganweni yobuKhristu wezwa inkulumo eyakuthintayo waze wathi: “Lokhu yikho kanye ebengikudinga”? Engxenye sewake wabona indlela uNkulunkulu akunika ngayo impendulo yalokho owawukuthandazele. Kumbe wazibonela ngawakho uJehova ekuncedisa ukuthi uphumelele lapho ukhetha ukuthuthukisa inkonzo yakho. Loba mhlawumbe watshiya umsebenzi ukuze uthole isikhathi esinengi sokukhonza uJehova wasukubona ukuba liqiniso kwesithembiso sikaJehova esithi: “Kangisoze ngilidele.” (Heb. 13:5) Nxa singaphaphama sibe lelihlo elibukhali, sizakwenelisa ukubona izindlela ezinengi uJehova asisize ngazo.

¹⁸ USarah waseKenya uthi: “Ngakhuleka mayelana lomuntu engangifunda laye iBhayibhili engangibona angani kakukhwabithi kangako lokho esasikufunda. Ngabuza uJehova ukuthi ngiyekele yini ukufunda lomuntu lo. Ngathi ngiqeda ukuthi ‘Ameni’ ifoni yami yakhala. Nguye owayefona ecela ukuthi sihambe sonke emihlanganweni! Ngaswela lokuthi ngithini!” Lawe ungenelisa ukubona ukusebenza kwesandla sikaNkulunkulu ekuphileni kwakho nxa ungaba ngumuntu olelihlo elinanzelelayo. Udadewethu wase-Asia okuthiwa nguRhonna uthi: “Kuthatha isikhathi ukuthi ufunde ukubona indlela uJehova aqondisa ngayo izinto. Kodwa nxa usukufundile, kuba mnandi kakhulu ukunanzelela indlela asincedisa ngayo!”

19. Kuyini okunye okumele sikwenze nxa sifuna ukuba phakathi kwalabo ababona uNkulunkulu?

¹⁹ UJesu wathi: “Babusisiwe abahlanzekileyo enhliziyweni ngoba bazabona uNkulunkulu.” (Mat. 5:8) Kumele senzeni ukuze ‘sihlanzeke enhliziyweni’? Kumele ingaphakathi yethu ibe msulwa njalo silahle loba yiphi imikhuba engaqondanga. (Bala u-2 Khorinte 4:2.) Nxa singalwela ukuba lobuhlobo obuhle loJehova njalo siziphathe kuhle, sizakuba phakathi kwalabo abambonayo uNkulunkulu. Isihloko esilandelayo sizaxoxa ngokholo lwethu, into engasinceda ukuthi sibone ukusebenza kwesandla sikaJehova ekuphileni kwethu ngendlela ecace bha!