Ke Ukuba Akunjalo …

Ndisengumfana oselula, ndabuyela ekhaya ndivela kukhuphiswano lwebhola yomnyazi yebakala lesibhozo ndingonwabanga, ndidanile, kwaye ndibhidekile. Ndakhwaza ndathi kumama, “Andazi ukuba kutheni singaphumelelanga—bendinokholo lokuba siza kuphumelela!”

Ngoku ndiyaqonda ukuba ngoko ndandingazi ukuba luyintoni na ukholo.

Ukholo ayibubo ubugorha bobuxoki, ingenguwo nje umnqweno, ingelilo nje ithemba. Ukholo lwenene lukholo kwiNkosi uYesu Krestu—ukuzithemba nokuthembela kuYesu Krestu okukhokelela ekubeni umntu alendele Yena.¹

Kwiinkulungwane ezadlulayo, ngequbuliso uDaniyeli noogxa bakhe abasebatsha batyhalelwa ngaphandle kukhuseleko lwasekhaya bafakwa kwihlabathi—ilizwe langaphandle neloyikisayo. Xa uShadraki, uMeshaki, noAbhede-nego besala ukuqubuda baze banqule umfanekiso wegolide owawumiswe ngukumkani, uNebhukadenetsare owayelugcwabevu ngumsindo wabaxelela okokuba ukuba abayi kunqula ngokomyalelo, babeya kuphoswa ezikweni lomlilo ngokukhawuleza. “Ngubani na ke uThixo oya kunisindisa esandleni sam?”²

Abafana abasebatsha abathathu baphendula ngokukhawuleza nangokuzithemba,“Ukuba [ukuba usiphosa ezikweni lomlilo], uThixo wethu esimbusayo unako, wosisindisa ezikweni elivutha umlilo, nasesandleni sakho.” Oko kuvakala ngathi luhlobo lokholo lwam lowebanga llesibhozo. Kodwa ke babonakalisa ukuba bayaluqonda ngokupheleleyo ukuba lwaluyintoni na ukholo. Baqhubeka, “Ke ukuba akunjalo, … asiyi kubabusa othixo bakho, asiyi kuqubuda kumfanekiso wegolide owumisileyo.”³ Leyo yingxelo yokholo lokwenene.

Babesazi ukuba bangamthemba uThixo—nokuba izinto azenzekanga ngendlela ababenethemba ngayo.⁴ Babesazi ukuba ukholo lungaphezulu kokuvuma kwengqondo, ngaphezulu kokuvuma ukuba uThixo uyaphila. Ukholo kukuthembela okupheleleyo kuYe.

Ukholo kukukholelwa ukuba nangona singaziqondi zonke izinto, Yena uyazi. Ukholo kukwazi ukuba nangona amandla ethu enomda, awaKhe awanawo. Ukholo kuYesu Krestu lubandakanya uxhomekeko kuYe ngokupheleleyo.

UShadraki, uMeshaki, noAbhednego babesazi ukuba bangahlala bethembele kuYe kuba babelazi icebo laKhe, kwaye babesazi ukuba Yena akaguquki.⁵ Babesazi, njengoko sisazi, ukuba ubomi basemhlabeni abuyiyo ingozi yendalo. Licandelo elifutshane lecebo elikhulu⁶ likaBawo wethu oSezulwini onothando ukwenza ukuba thina, oonyana baKhe neentombi zaKhe, siphumeze ezintsikelelo Yena azonwabelayo, ukuba siyalangazelela.

Babesazi, njengokuba sisazi, ukuba kubomi bethu bangaphambili, sasiyalelwe nguYe ngenjongo yobomi basemhlabeni: “Siya kwenza umhlaba apho aba baya kuhlala khona; Kwaye siya kubavavanya ngale ndlela, sibone ukuba baya kuzenza zonke izinto naziphina iNkosi uThixo wabo aya kubayalela zona.”⁷

Ke apho sinayo—luvavanyo. Ihlabathi yindawo yokuvavanya amadoda nabafazi basemhlabeni. Xa siqonda ukuba konke kuluvavanyo, olulawulwa nguBawo wethu oseZulwini, ofuna ukuba sithembele kuYe kwaye simvumele ukuba Yena asincede, emva koko sinokubona yonke into ngokucacileyo.

Yena wasixelela, umsebenzi waKhe nozuko lwaKhe, “ekwenzeni kubekho ukungafi nobomi obungunaphakade bomntu.”⁸ Yena sele ebufumene ubuthixo. Ngoku eyona njongo yaKhe kukusinceda—ukusenza sibuyele kuYe kwaye sifane naYe kwaye siphile uhlobo lobomi baKhe obungunaphakade.

Ukwazi konke oku, akuzange kube nzima kula maHebhere mathathu aselula ukwenza isigqibo sawo. Babeya kulandela uThixo; babeza kubonisa ukholo kuYe. Wayeya kubahlangula, ke ukuba akunjalo—kwaye siyalazi lonke ibali.

INkosi isinike inkululeko yokuzikhethela, ilungelo kunye noxanduva lokuthatha isigqibo.⁹ Uyasivavanya ngokusivumela ukuba sicelwe umngeni. Uyasiqinisekisa ukuba Yena akasayi kuvumela ukuba silingwe ngaphaya kwamandla ethu okumelana nako.¹⁰ Kodwa kufuneka siqonde ukuba imingeni emikhulu yenza abantu abakhulu. Asikhangeli mbandezelo, kodwa ukuba siyaphendula ngokholo, iNkosi iyasomeleza. Oo–ke ukuba akunjalo banokuba ziintsikelelo ezimangalisayo.

UmPostile uPawulos wasifunda esi sifundo sibalulekileyo kwaye wabhengeza, emva kwamashumi eminyaka yomsebenzi ozinikeleyo wobufundisi, “Sizingca nangeembandezelo ezi … sisazi ukuba imbandezelo isebenza unyamezelo; Unyamezelo ke lusebenza ukucikideka; ukucikideka ke kusebenza ithemba: Ithemba ke alidanisi.”¹¹

Waqinisekiswa nguMsindisi, “Ubabalo lwam lukwanele: kuba amandla am azalisekiswa ekuswelekeni kwamandla.”¹²

UPawulos waphendula: “Ngoko kokukhona sendiya kuqhayisa kamnandi kakhulu ngokuswela kwam amandla, ukuze ahlale phezu kwam amandla kaKrestu. … Ndikholisiwe kukuswela amandla, kukuphathwa kakubi, ziingxakeko, ziintshutshiso, ziingxinano, ngenxa kaKrestu: kuba xa sukuba ndiswele amandla, kuxa ndinamandla.”¹³ Xa uPawulos wayedibana nemiceli mngeni yakhe ngendlela yeNkosi, ukholo lwakhe lwaye lwanda.

“Ngokholo uAbraham wamnikela uIsake, akulingwa.”¹⁴ UAbraham, ngenxa yokholo lwakhe olukhulu, wathenjiswa inzala enkulu ngenani kuneenkwenkwezi zasemazulwini, kwaye loo nzala yayiza kuza ngoIsake. Kodwa uAbraham wawuthobela kwangoko umyalelo weNkosi. UThixo wayeza kusigcina isithembiso saKhe, ke ukuba akunjalo ngendlela uAbraham awayeyilindele ngayo, ngoko wayesamthemba Yena ngokupheleleyo.

Abantu bafezekisa izinto ezintle ngokuthembela eNkosini nokugcina imiyalelo yaKhe—ngokusebenzisa ukholo nokuba abazi ukuba iNkosi ibabumba njani.

“Ngokholo uMoses … akavuma ukubizwa ngokuthi ungunyana wentombi kaFaro;

“Enyula kanye ukuba aphathwe kakubi ndawonye nabantu bakaThixo, kunokuba axhamle izono okomzuzwana;

“Ekubalele ukungcikivwa kukaKrestu kububutyebi obungaphezu kobutyebi baseYiputa. …

“Ngokholo wayishiya iYiputa, akawoyika umsindo wokumkani. …

“Ngokholo baluwela ulwandle oluBomvu kwanga kusemhlabeni owomileyo. …

“Ngokholo zawa iindonga zaseYeriko.”¹⁵

Abanye “ngokholo beyisa izikumkani, … bazuzana namadinga, bavingca imilomo yeengonyama,

“Bacima amandla omlilo, basinda kwiintlangothi zekrele, bomelela ekubeni beswele amandla, baba ngamagorha emfazwe.”¹⁶

Kodwa phakathi kwazo zonke ezo ziphumo zizukileyo zinethemba kwaye zilindelwe ngabathathi-nxaxheba, kwakusoloko kukho oo–ke ukuba akunjalo:

“Bambi ke benziwa intlekisa, batyakatywa, … baviswa imixokelelwane nentolongo:

“Baxulutywa ngamatye; basarhwa; bahendwa; bafa kukubulawa ngekrele: bahamba … beswele, bebandezelwe, bephathwa kakubi; … ¹⁷

“UThixo ebabonelele ngezinto ezingcono ngeembandezelo zabo, kuba ngaphandle kweembandezelo babengenakwenziwa bagqibelele.”¹⁸

Izibhalo zethu kunye nembali yethu zigcwele ziingxelo zamadoda nabafazi abakhulu bakaThixo ababekholelwa ukuba Yena wayeya kubahlangula, ke ukuba akunjalo, baye babonisa ukuba bayakuthemba kwaye banyaniseke.

Yena unamandla, kodwa lolwethu uvavanyo.

INkosi ilindele ntoni kuthi ngokubhekisele kwimiceli mngeni yethu? Ilindele ukuba senze konke esinokukwenza. Yona yenza okuseleyo. UNifayi watsho, “Kuba siyazi ukuba kungobabalo ukuze sisindiswe, emva kwako konke esinokuthi sikwenze.”¹⁹

Kufuneka sibe nokholo olufana nolukaShadraki, noMeshaki, kunye noAbhednego.

UThixo wethu uya kusihlangula ekuhlekisweni nasekutshutshisweni, ke ukuba akunjalo. … UThixo wethu uya kusihlangula kwisigulo kunye nesifo, ke ukuba akunjalo … . Uya kusihlangula kwisizungu, kuxinzelelo, okanye kuloyiko, ke ukuba akunjalo. … UThixo wethu uya kusihlangula kwizisongelo, izityholo, ukungazithembi, ke ukuba akunjalo. … Uya kusihlangula ekufeni okanye ekukhubazekeni kwabantu esibathandayo ke ukuba akunjalo, … siya kuthembela eNkosini.

UThixo wethu uya kuqinisekisa ukuba sifumana ubulungisa nasekubeni ngabinamkhethe, ke ukuba akunjalo. … Uya kuqinisekisa ukuba siyathandwa kwaye siyaziwa, ke ukuba akunjalo. … Siza kufumana iqabane eligqibeleleyo kunye nabantwana abalungileyo nabathobelayo, ke ukuba akunjalo, … siya kuba nokholo kwiNkosi uYesu Krestu, sisazi ukuba senza konke esinako ukukwenza, siza kuthi, ngexesha laKhe nangendlela yaKhe, sihlangulwe kwaye samkele konke Yena anako.²⁰ Ndiyangqina ngokunjalo egameni likaYesu Krestu, amen.