Mhlawumbe uyake uzibuze ukuthi, ‘Kungani kumele ngithandaze nxa uNkulunkulu ekwazi konke engikucabangayo lezinto engiziswelayo?’ Lo ngumbuzo olengqondo. Ngoba uJesu wavele wathi uNkulunkulu “uyakwazi elikuswelayo loba lingakakuceli kuye.” (UMathewu 6:8) INkosi yako-Israyeli wasendulo uDavida yakunanzelela lokhu yaze yabhala yathi: “Ilizwi lingakabi khona olimini lwami usulazi lonke, wena Jehova.” (IHubo 139:4) Pho-ke kungani kumele sithandaze kuNkulunkulu? Ukuze siphendule umbuzo lo kasihloleni ukuthi iBhayibhili lithini ngemithandazo yezikhonzi zikaNkulunkulu. *

Lanxa iBhayibhili lisithi uJehova * uNkulunkulu ukwazi konke, liphinda litshengise ukuthi kahlosanga ukuhlala edingisisa konke okwenzakalayo ezikhonzini zakhe. (IHubo 139:6; KwabaseRoma 11:33) Umkhumbulo wakhe obanzi kawufanani lowekhompiyutha yona ephongugqitshwa ulwazi nje. Iqiniso yikuthi uNkulunkulu ulendaba lalokho okusezinhliziyweni zethu ngenxa yokuthi ufuna sisondele eduze kwakhe. (IHubo 139:23, 24; UJakhobe 4:8) Yikho uJesu wakhuthaza abalandeli bakhe ukuthi bathandaze lanxa uYise ekwazi esikufunayo ukuze siqhubeke siphila. (UMathewu 6:6-8) Nxa sihlala sitshela uMdali wethu okusezinhliziyweni zethu sizasondela eduze kwakhe.

Kwezinye izikhathi nxa sithandaza kungaba nzima ukutsho ukuthi kuyini esikufunayo sibili. Nxa kunjalo, uNkulunkulu angakubona lokho ebesifuna ukukutsho njalo abesesebenzisa ulwazi lwakhe olupheleleyo ngathi ukuze asinike lokho esikufunayo. (KwabaseRoma 8:26, 27; Kwabase-Efesu 3:20) Nxa sikunanzelela ukuthi uNkulunkulu uyasincedisa ezimpilweni zethu langezindlela ezingakhanyiyo, sisuka sifune ukusondela kuye.

IBhayibhili lisenza sibe leqiniso lokuthi uNkulunkulu uSomandla uyayiphendula imithandazo yezinceku zakhe ezithembekileyo. Kodwa liphinde lisinike izizatho ezenza angayilaleli eminye imithandazo. Ngokwesibonelo, ngesikhathi kugcwele udlakela ko-Israyeli wasendulo, uNkulunkulu walaya umphrofethi wakhe u-Isaya ukuthi atshele abantu ukuthi: “Loba selikhuleka imikhuleko eminengi, angiyikulalela. Izandla zenu zigcwele igazi.” (U-Isaya 1:15) Kuyacaca-ke ukuthi labo abangelandaba lemithetho kaNkulunkulu kumbe abathandaza belezinjongo ezingayisizo kabangeke bakhangelele ukuthi uNkulunkulu ayizwe imithandazo yabo.​—IZaga 28:9; UJakhobe 4:3.

Kodwa iBhayibhili lithi: “Uma sicela ulutho ngokwentando yakhe uyasizwa.” (1 UJohane 5:14) Lokhu kutsho yini ukuthi uNkulunkulu unika izinceku zakhe konke ezikucelayo? Hatshi. Cabanga ngomphostoli uPhawuli owancenga uNkulunkulu kathathu ukuthi asuse ‘ameva ayemhlaba emzimbeni wakhe.’ (2 KwabaseKhorinte 12:7, 8) Kukhanya ameva la kwakungumkhuhlane wamehlo ongelaphekiyo. Kumele ukuthi  kwakumkhathaza kakhulu lokhu. UPhawuli wayenikwe amandla okwelapha njalo waze wavusa lomuntu ofileyo, kodwa kwakumele alwisane lobuhlungu bomkhuhlane wakhe. (ImiSebenzi 19:11, 12; 20:9, 10) Lanxa lokho ayekucela kungaphendulwanga ngendlela ayeyifuna, uPhawuli kazange ayisole impendulo kaNkulunkulu.​—2 KwabaseKhorinte 12:9, 10.

Akuthandabuzwa ukuthi imithandazo yabanye abantu okukhulunywa ngabo eBhayibhilini yayiphendulwa besanda kuqeda nje ukukhuleka. (2 AmaKhosi 20:1-7) Kodwa izimpendulo ezinjalo zazingandanga ngaleso sikhathi. Abanye abantu bakaNkulunkulu babedana nxa kwakukhanya angani imithandazo yabo kayiphendulwanga. INkosi uDavida yabuza yathi: “Koze kube nini, O Jehova? Uzangikhohlwa lanininini na?” (IHubo 13:1) Kodwa lapho iNkosi le eyayithembekile ikunanzelela ukuthi uJehova wayehlala eyincedisa, yakhuluma kanenginengi ukuthi yayimthemba uNkulunkulu. Emthandazweni lo, iNkosi uDavida yaphinda yathi: “Kodwa ngiyalwethemba uthando lwakho olungapheliyo.” (IHubo 13:5) Izikhonzi zikaJehova namuhla kungadingakala ukuthi ziphikelele emthandazweni zize zithole izimpendulo zalokho ezikucelayo.​—KwabaseRoma 12:12.

UNkulunkulu uyasiphendula nxa sicela ngobuqotho.

Abazali abalothando kabahlali besipha umntanabo lokho akucelayo ngesikhathi ayabe ekufuna ngaso. Yikho-ke, kungenzakala ukuthi uNkulunkulu angaphenduli izikhalazo zethu ngendlela esicabanga ukuthi uzasiphendula ngayo kumbe ngesikhathi esikhangelele ukuthi asiphendule ngaso. Kodwa singaba leqiniso lokuthi uMdali wethu uzaphendula izicelo zethu ngesikhathi sakhe esifaneleyo langendlela yakhe efaneleyo njengobaba olothando.​—ULukha 11:11-13.

UNkulunkulu angasiphendula ngezindlela esingazinanzeleliyo.

Kodwa-ke singenzani nxa sekuyisikhathi eside sithandazela ukuthi uhlupho esilalo luphele? Kumele yini sibone angani uJehova kasasiphenduli ngenxa yokuthi kasiyitholanga masinyane impendulo? Kulokuthi senze njalo, kuhle ukuthi sicabange ngokuthi uNkulunkulu angabe esiphendulile yini ngezindlela esingazinanzeleliyo. Ngokwesibonelo, kungenzakala ukuthi umngane olothando wenze okusemandleni akhe ukuze asincedise ngesikhathi sifuna uncedo. (IZaga 17:17) Mhlawumbe uJehova uyabe esebenzise umngane lo osithandayo ukuthi asincede. Kanti njalo nxa singacela uncedo kuNkulunkulu, angasiphendula esebenzisa iBhayibhili. EBhayibhilini singathola ukuzwisisa okungasinceda ukuthi silwisane lohlupho olusikhathazayo.​—2 KuThimothi 3:16, 17.

Kulokuthi asuse uhlupho esilalo, uNkulunkulu wandise ukunika abantu bakhe amandla okulwisana lalo. (2 KwabaseKhorinte 4:7) Ngokwesibonelo, uJesu wayesesaba ukungcolisa ibizo likaNkulunkulu wasecela ukuthi uYise asuse isilingo esithile. Yikho-ke uJehova wathuma ingilosi ukuthi imqinise. (ULukha 22:42, 43) Lamuhla lakho, uNkulunkulu angasebenzisa umngane ukuthi asikhuthaze ngesikhathi sisebunzimeni. (IZaga 12:25) Kumele sinanzelele sibili indlela uNkulunkulu aphendula ngayo imithandazo yethu ngenxa yokuthi izimpendulo ezinjengalezi azikhanyi.

Ezinye izimpendulo kumele zimelele isikhathi sikaNkulunkulu.

IBhayibhili lithi uNkulunkulu uSomandla utshengisa umusa kwabathobekileyo “ngesikhathi esifaneleyo.” (1 UPhetro 5:6) Ngakho nxa kukhanya angani uJehova uyaphuza ukuphendula imithandazo yethu, akumelanga sicabange ukuthi kalandaba lathi. UMdali wethu olendaba lathi njalo okwazi konke uyaziqakathekisa izicelo zethu ngoba uyakwazi ukuthi kuyini okusifaneleyo.

Ngokwesibonelo, ake sithi umntanakho ongumfana ukucela ukuthi umthengele ibhayisikili. Ungahle umthengele yini? Nxa ubona ukuthi kakenelisi ukugada ibhasikili ungakhetha ukuma ukulithenga. Kodwa ngokuya kwesikhathi ungamthengela nxa usubona ukuthi kuzamnceda ukuba lalo. Yikho-ke, uNkulunkulu angasipha ‘izifiso zezinhliziyo [zethu]’ ngesikhathi esifaneleyo nxa siqhubeka sithandaza.​—IHubo 37:4.

IBhayibhili likhuthaza amaKhristu ukuthi angacini ebona angani umthandazo awuqakathekanga. Abanye  bangathi, ‘Lokhu kulula ukukutsho ngomlomo nje kuphela.’ Kuliqiniso ukuthi kungabanzima ukumelela impendulo evela kuNkulunkulu nxa sesilesikhathi eside silohlupho kumbe kulokuthile okungani akuhambi ngendlela eqondileyo. Kodwa kungaba kuhle ukuthi sikhumbule lokho okwatshiwo nguJesu mayelana lokuphikelela sithandaza.

UJesu wanika umzekeliso womfelokazi ongumyanga owaqhubeka esiyacela uncedo kumahluli owayengelandaba labantu. (ULukha 18:1-3) Lanxa ekuqaliseni umahluli lo wala ukumnceda, wacina esezitshela ukuthi: “Sengizamlungisela, ukuthi angaze aze angingene emathanjeni ngoba elokhu esiza!” (ULukha 18:4, 5) Olimini lokuqala olwasetshenziswa ukubhala iBhayibhili, ivesi le yabhalwa njengokuthi, umahluli wamlungisela umfelokazi lo ukuze angacini “esemxhopha elihlweni” kumbe ngamanye amazwi “esemehlisa isithunzi.” * Nxa umahluli ongalunganga wenelisa ukuncedisa umfelokazi ongumyanga ngoba esesaba ukwehliswa isithunzi, akuthandabuzwa ukuthi uNkulunkulu wethu olothando uzabaphendula labo “abakhuleka kuye imini lobusuku.” Njengoba uJesu watsho, uNkulunkulu “uzabalungisela, futhi masinyane.”​—ULukha 18:6-8.

Akumelanga siphelelwe ngamandla lanxa kwezinye izikhathi singacina sesidinwa ngokucela uncedo kumbe umusa kaNkulunkulu. Nxa singaphikelela emthandazweni, siyabe sitshengisa ukuthi sikufisa ngenhliziyo yonke ukubona uNkulunkulu esincedisa ezimpilweni zethu. Lokhu kuzasinceda lokuthi senelise ukubona indlela uNkulunkulu aphendula ngayo izicelo zethu besesisondela kuye. Sizaba leqiniso lokuthi uJehova uzayiphendula imithandazo yethu nxa siqhubeka sicela futhi singathandabuzi ukuthi uyasizwa.​—ULukha 11:9.