Nonke niphakathi ekuvivinyweni nasekucwengweni. Ingabe kufanele nimthande kanjani uNkulunkulu ngesikhathi sokucwengwa? Emva kokuthola ukucwengwa, abantu bayakwazi ukunikeza uNkulunkulu indumiso yeqiniso, futhi phakathi kokucwengwa, bakwazi ukubona ukuthi basilele kakhulu. Uma kukukhulu ukucwengeka kwakho, kanjalo uzokwazi ukuyehlula inyama; uma kukukhulu ukucwengeka kwakho, kungale nkathi nothando lukaNkulunkulu luzokwanda ebantwini. Yilokhu okufanele nikuqonde. Kungani kufanele abantu bathole ukucwengwa? Ingabe lokhu kuhlose ukufezani? Yini ukubaluleka komsebenzi kaNkulunkulu ekucwengweni komuntu? Uma umfuna ngokweqiniso uNkulunkulu, khona-ke ngemva kokuthola ukucwangwa Nguye kwaze kwaba sezingeni elithile uzozwa ukuthi kumnandi, futhi kunesidingo esikhulu. Ingabe umuntu kufanele amthande kanjani uNkulunkulu ngesikhathi sokucwengwa? Ngokuzimisela ngokuthanda uNkulunkulu wamukele nokucwengwa nguYe: Ngesikhathi sokucwengwa uyahlushwa ngaphakathi, kube sengathi kunommese ophanjaniswe enhliziyweni yakho, kodwa uzimisele ukwenelisa uNkulunkulu usebenzisa inhliziyo yakho, emthandayo, futhi awuzimisele ukunakekela inyama. Yilokho okusuke kuqondiswe kukho uma kukhulunywa ngokwenza uthando lukaNkulunkulu. Uyafa yiminjunju ngaphakathi, futhi ubuhlungu bakho sebufinyelele ezingeni elithile, kodwa nalapho usazimisele ukuza phambi kukaNkulunkulu ukhuleka, uthi: “O Nkulunkulu! Angikwazi ukukushiya Wena. Yize noma kunobumnyama obungizungezile, kodwa ngifuna ukwenelisa Wena; Uyayazi inhliziyo yami, futhi ngifisa ngabe ungatshala uthando lwaKho ngaphakathi kimi.” Lokhu kwenziwa ngesikhathi sokucwengwa. Uma usebenzisa uthando lukaNkulunkulu njengesisekelo, ukucwengwa kungakusondeza eduze noNkulunkulu futhi kukwenze ube nobudlelwane obusondelene kakhulu noNkulunkulu. Njengoba ukholwa kuNkulunkulu, kufanele unikele inhliziyo yakho ngaphambi kukaNkulunkulu. Uma uzinikela bese weneka inhliziyo yakho phambi kukaNkulunkulu, kusho ukuthi ngesikhathi sokucwengwa ngeke kwenzeke kuwena ukuba umphike uNkulunkulu, noma umshiye uNkulunkulu. Ngale ndlela ubudlelwane bakho noNkulunkulu buzosondelana nakakhulu, futhi bube ngobejwayelekile nakakhulu, kanti ubudlelwane bakho noNkulunkulu buzokwanda nakakhulu. Uma ngaso sonke isikhathi wenza ngale ndlela, uzochitha isikhathi esiningi ekukhanyeni kukaNkulunkulu, kanye nesikhathi esiningi ngaphansi kokuholwa ngamazwi aKhe, futhi kuzoba noshintsho olukhulu esimweni sakho, kanjalo nolwazi lwakho luzokwanda usuku nosuku. Kuyothi uma kufika usuku nezilingo zikaNkulunkulu zikwehlela ungazelele, ngeke nje ugcine ngokuma eduze kukaNkulunkulu, kodwa futhi uyokwazi nokwethula ubufakazi ngoNkulunkulu. Ngaleso sikhathi, uyofana noJobe, noPetru. Sewunobufakazi ngoNkulunkulu uyomthanda ngokweqiniso, futhi uyozimisela ukunikela ngempilo yakho egameni laKhe; uyoba ngufakazi kaNkulunkulu, futhi ufakazi othandiweyo nguNkulunkulu. Uthando oluthole ukucwengwa lunamandla, alusibuthakathaka. Kungakhathalekile ukuthi uNkulunkulu ukungenisa kanjani ezilingweni zaKhe, uyakwazi ukungabi nandaba noma uyaphila noma uyafa, ubeke konke okunye eceleni ngentokozo wenzela uNkulunkulu, futhi ubekezele noma yini ngentokozo wenzela uNkulunkulu—ngaleyo ndlela-ke uthando lwakho luyoba msulwa, kanti nokholo lwakho lube ngolweqiniso. Yilapho kuphela-ke lapho uyoba ngumuntu othanda uNkulunkulu ngokweqiniso, futhi oye wapheleliswa ngempela nguNkulunkulu.

Uma abantu bewela ngaphansi kwethonya likaSathane, lapho-ke basuke bengasenalo uthando lukaNkulunkulu ngaphakathi kubona, njengoba imibono yabo yangaphambilini, uthando, kanye nokuzimisela kwabo sekunyamalele. Abantu babevame ukuzizwa sengathi kwakufanele bahlupheke behluphekela uNkulunkulu, kodwa namuhla bacabanga ukuthi kuyihlazo futhi kabaziswele izinto abangakhalaza ngazo. Lona ngumsebenzi kaSathane; kuyakhombisa ukuthi umuntu usewele ngaphansi kokubuswa nguSathane. Uma ufinyelela kulesi simo kufanele uthandaze, usiguqule ngokushesha—lokhu kuzokuvikela ekuhlaselweni nguSathane. Kungesikhathi sokucwengwa okubuhlungu lapho umuntu engawela kalula ngaphasi kwethonya likaSathane—pho kufanele umthande kanjani uNkulunkulu ngesikhathi sokucwengwa? Kufanele uzame ngawo wonke amandla akho, ubeke inhliziyo yakho phambi kukaNkulunkulu unikele sonke isikhathi sakho kuYe. Noma ngabe uNkulunkulu ukucwenga kanjani, kufanele ukwazi ukuphila iqiniso ukuze kufezeke intando kaNkulunkulu futhi kufanele uzimisele ukuba wena uqobo ufune uNkulunkulu futhi ufune ubudlelwane. Ezikhathini ezifana nalezi, ngale nkathi unganaki ngokwengeziwe, kungale nkathi kuzogcina kulula ngokwengeziwe ukuba ubuyele emuva. Uma sekufanelekile ukuba wenze umsebenzi wakho, yize noma ungawenzi kahle, wenza konke okusemandleni akho, futhi ukwenza usebenzisa uthando lukaNkulunkulu; kungakhathalekile ukuthi abanye bathini—noma ngabe bayakuncoma bathi wenze kahle, noma wenze kabi—ukugqugquzeleka kwakho kuhle, futhi awuzishayi isifuba, ngoba wenza umsebenzi kaNkulunkulu. Uma abanye bekuhlanekezela lokhu okwenzayo bakubize ngokungesikhona, uyakwazi ukuthandaza kuNkulunkulu uthi: “O Nkulunkulu! Angiceli ukuba abanye bangibekezelele noma bangiphathe kahle, noma bangiqonde noma bangivumele. Ngicela nje kuphela ukuba ngikwazi ukukuthanda Wena enhliziyweni yami, ukuba ngikhululeke enhliziyweni yami, ukuthi unembeza wami uhlanzekile. Angiceli ukuba abanye bangincome, noma bangithathele phezulu; ngifuna nje ukwenelisa Wena ngenhliziyo yami, ngidlala indima yami ngokwenza konke enginamandla okukwenza, futhi yize noma ngiyisiphukuphuku nesiwula, futhi ngimpofu, ngiyimpumputhe, kodwa ngiyazi ukuthi Wena umuhle, futhi ngizimisele ukunikela konke enginakho kuWena.” Uma nje uthandaza ngale ndlela, uthando lwakho ngoNkulunkulu luyavela, futhi uzizwa usunokukhululeka kakhudlwana enhliziyweni yakho. Yilokho okusuke kuqondiswe kukho uma kukhulunywa ngokwenza uthando lukaNkulunkulu. Njengalokhu ukubona lokhu, uzohluleka kabili uphumelele kanye, noma uzohluleka izikhathi eziyisihlanu bese uphumelela izikhathi ezimbili, ngenkathi kuqhubeka lokhu ngale ndlela, kuzoba ngale nkathi ubhekene nokwehluleka lapho uzokwazi ukubona khona ubuhle bukaNkulunkulu bese ukwazi ukubona ukuthi yini osilele kuyona wena ngaphakathi. Uma uphinda uhlangabezana nezimo ezifana nalezi, kufanele uzexwayise, uqikelele izinyathelo zakho, futhi uthandaze kakhulu kunakuqala. Kancane kancane uzoba nawo amandla okunqoba ezimweni ezifana nalezi. Uma lokho sekwenzeka, imikhuleko yakho ibe yimpumelelo. Uma usubona ukuthi uphumelele kulokhu, uzokweneliseka ngaphakathi, futhi uma ukhuleka uzokwazi ukumuzwa uNkulunkulu, nokuthi ubukhona bukaMoya oNgcwele busenawe—kulapho kuphela-ke lapho uzokwazi ukuthi uNkulunkulu usebenza kanjani ngaphakathi kuwena. Ukwenza ngale ndlela kuzokwenza uthole indlela yokwenza. Uma ungasebenzisi iqiniso, ngeke ube naye uMoya oNgcwele ngaphakathi kuwena. Kodwa uma wenza iqiniso lapho uhlangana nezinto njengoba zinjalo, khona-ke, noma uzwa ubuhlungu ngaphakathi, uMoya oNgcwele uzoba nawe kamuva, uzokwazi ukuzwa ubukhona bukaNkulunkulu lapho uthandaza, uzoba namandla okwenza amazwi kaNkulunkulu, futhi ngenkathi unobudlelwane nabazalwane bakho ayikho into ezobe isinda kunembeza wakho, futhi uzozizwa unokuthula, ngale ndlela-ke, uzokwazi ukuletha ukukhanya kulokho okwenzile. Kungakhathalekile ukuthi abanye bathini, uzokwazi ukuba nobudlelwane obujwayelekile noNkulunkulu, ngeke uvinjelwe ngabanye, uzonqoba konke—bese kulokhu, uzokhombisa ukuthi ukwenza kwakho amazwi kaNkulunkulu kube yimpumelelo.

Ngenkathi kukukhulu ukucwengwa nguNkulunkulu, kungale nkathi nezinhliziyo zabantu zikwazi ukumthanda kakhulu uNkulunkulu. Ubuhlungu ezinhliziyweni zabo buzoba ngumhlomulo ezimpilweni zabo, bakwazi kakhulu ukuba nokuthula ngaphambi kukaNkulunkulu, ubudlelwane babo noNkulunkulu busondelane, futhi bakwazi kangcono ukubona uthando lukaNkulunkulu olumangalisayo kanye nensindiso yaKhe enkulukazi. UPetru wathola ukucwengwa okuphindwe kayikhulu, kanti uJobe wabhekana nezilingo eziningana. Uma nifisa ukupheleliswa nguNkulunkulu, nani futhi kufanele nibhekane nokucwengwa okuphindwe kayikhulu; uma kuphela ndlula kule nqubo, futhi nincika kulesi sinyathelo, nizokwazi ukwenelisa intando kaNkulunkulu, kanye nokupheleliswa nguNkulunkulu. Ukucwengwa yindlela eyiyonayona uNkulunkulu aphelelisa ngayo abantu; kuphakathi kokucwengwa kanye nezilingo ezinzima lapho kuvela khona uthando lweqiniso lukaNkulunkulu ezinhliziyweni zabantu. Ngaphandle kobunzima, abantu ababi nalo uthando lweqiniso lukaNkulunkulu; uma bengavivinywa ngaphakathi, futhi bengabhekananga kahle nokucwengwa kwangempela, izinhliziyo zabo ziyohlezi zintanta ngaphandlei. Uma usucwengwe waba sezingeni elithile, uzokwazi ukuzibona ubuthakathaka bakho kanye nezinkinga zakho, uzobona ukuthi usilela kangakanani nokuthi awukwazi ukunqoba izinkinga eziningi obhekana nazo, futhi uzobona ukuthi kukhulu kangakanani ukungalaleli kwakho. Kusesikhathini sezilingo kuphela lapho abantu bekwazi ukubona ngempela isimo abakusona, nezilingo zenza abantu bakwazi kangcono ukuba bapheleliswe.

Ekuphileni kwakhe, uPetru wabhekana nokucwengwa izikhathi ezingamakhulu futhi wabhekana nezinhlupheko eziningi ezibuhlungu. Lokhu kucwengwa kwaba yisisekelo sothando lwakhe olukhulukazi lukaNkulunkulu, futhi lokhu kwaba yinto ebalulekile empilweni yakhe yonke. Ukuthi wakwazi ukuba nalolu thando olukhulukazi lukaNkulunkulu empeleni, kolunye uhlangothi, kwaba ngenxa yokuphikelela kwakhe ethanda uNkulunkulu; okubaluleke kakhulu, kodwa-ke, kwaba ngenxa yokucwenga nokuhlupheka abhekana nakho. Lokhu kuhlupheka kwaba yisiqondiso saKhe endleleni yokuthanda uNkulunkulu, futhi kwaba yinto angazange ayikhohlwa. Uma abantu bengahlangabezani nobuhlungu bokucwengwa uma bethanda uNkulunkulu, lokho-ke kusho ukuthi uthando lwabo lugcwele ukungcola kanye nokuthandwa yibo; uthando olufana nalolu lugcwele imibono kaSathane, futhi nje alukwazi neze ukufeza intando kaNkulunkulu. Ukuba nothando oluphikelelayo lukaNkulunkulu akufani nokuthanda uNkulunkulu ngokweqiniso. Yize noma konke abakucabangayo ezinhliziyweni zabo kungenxa yokuthanda uNkulunkulu, nokwenelisa uNkulunkulu, sengathi imicabango yabo ayinamicabango yabantu, sengathi konke abakwenzayo bakwenzela uNkulunkulu, uma imicabango yabo ilethwa phambi kukaNkulunkulu, imicabango enjalo ayinconywa noma ayibusiswanga nguNkulunkulu. Ngisho noma abantu sebeqondisise kahle wonke amaqiniso—uma sebewazi wonke—lokhu akukwazi ukubizwa ngophawu lokuthanda uNkulunkulu, angeke kuthiwe laba bantu ngempela bathanda uNkulunkulu. Ngisho noma sebeqondisise amaqiniso amaningi ngaphandle kokubhekana nokucwengwa, abantu abakwazi ukuphila ngala maqiniso; kungesikhathi sokucwengwa kuphela lapho abantu bengaqonda okushiwo ngempela yilawa maqiniso, yilapho kuphela lapho abantu bengakwazi ukwazisa ngempela incazelo yawo yangaphakathi. Ngaleso sikhathi, uma sebezama futhi, bayakwazi ukusebenzisa la maqiniso ngendlela, kanye nangokuhambisana nentando kaNkulunkulu; ngaleso sikhathi, imibono yabo yabantu iyancipha, ukukhohlakala kobuntu babo kuyehla, kanti nemizwa yabo yokuba umuntu iyashabalala; kungaleso sikhathi kuphela lapho ukwenza kwabo kuyisibonakaliso seqiniso sothando lukaNkulunkulu. Umphumela weqiniso lothando lukaNkulunkulu awufezeki ngolwazi olukhulunywayo noma ukuzimisela ngokwengqondo, futhi awufezeki nje kalula ngokuqondwa. Uma kudingeka abantu bakhokhe inani elithile, nokuthi babhekane nomunyu omkhulu kakhulu ngesikhathi sokucwengwa, bese kuba yilapho kuphela-ke lapho uthando lwabo luba msulwa, futhi lube ngolulangazelele inhliziyo kaNkulunkulu uqobo. Emfunekweni Yakhe yokuba umuntu athande Yena, uNkulunkulu akaphoqi ukuthi umuntu amthande ngothando lwemizwa noma noma intando yakhe; kodwa kungokuthembeka kanye nokusebenzisa iqiniso lapho umuntu engakwazi ukumthanda Yena kanye nokumkhonza. Kodwa umuntu uphila phakathi kwenkohlakalo, ngakho-ke akakwazi ukusebenzisa iqiniso nokwethembeka ukuze amsebenzele uNkulunkulu. Kuphakathi kokuthi unomdlandla onamandla kakhulu noma uphole kakhulu futhi akanandaba noNkulunkulu, kuphakathi kokuthi uthanda uNkulunkulu ngokwedlulele noma umenyanya ngokwedlulele. Labo abaphila phakathi kwenkohlakalo bahlale bephila phakathi kwalezo zimo ezimbili eziphikisanayo, bahlale bephila ngokwentando yabo kodwa bekholwa ukuthi benza kahle. Yize noma lokhu ngikhuluma ngako njalonjalo, abantu abakwazi ukukuthathela phezulu, abakwazi ukukuqonda ngokuphelele ukubaluleka kwakho, ngakho-ke baphila phakathi kwesimo sokholo lokuzikhohlisa, othandweni lukaNkulunkulu lwenkohliso oluthembele entandweni yabo. Emlandweni wonke, njengoba isintu sithuthuka neminyaka idlula, okufunwa nguNkulunkulu kumuntu sekuphakeme kakhulu, futhi usefune ukuthi umuntu aqiniseke ngokuphelele kuYe. Kodwa noma kunjalo ulwazi lomuntu ngoNkulunkulu luya ngokuya lungaqondakali futhi lungabi yinto ongokoqobo, futhi uthando lwakhe ngoNkulunkulu luya ngokuya luntengantenga futhi olungenabo ubumsulwa. Isimo somuntu nakho konke akwenzayo kuya ngokuya kuphambana nentando kaNkulunkulu, ngoba umuntu usengene shi ekungcolisweni nguSathane. Lokhu kudinga ukuthi uNkulunkulu enze okwengeziwe, nakakhudlwana, umsebenzi wosindiso. Umuntu ulokhu efuna njalonjalo kuNkulunkulu, kodwa uthando lwakhe ngoNkulunkulu luyehla njalonjalo. Abantu baphila impilo yokungalaleli, abanalo iqiniso, futhi baphila izimpilo ezingenabo ubuntu; abagcini nje ngokuphelelwa uthando ngoNkulunkulu, kodwa bagcwele ukungalaleli kanye nokuqagulisana. Yize noma becabanga ukuthi banothando oluphuphumayo ngoNkulunkulu, futhi akukho okunye okudlula lokhu abangamenzela kona Yena, uNkulunkulu akaboni kanjalo. Kucace bha kuYena ukuthi uthando lomuntu ngaye lungcole kangakanani, kodwa akakaze ashintshe imicabango yaKhe ngomuntu ngenxa yobuphixiphixi bakhe, futhi akakaze aphindisele izenzo zomuntu ngenxa yokuzinikela kwakhe. UNkulunkulu akafani nomuntu, uyakwazi ukwahlukanisa: Uyazi ukuthi ubani omthanda ngokweqiniso kanye nalabo abangamthandi, futhi kunokuba acindezelwe yimizwa nokungakwazi ukuzilawula ngenxa yokuthatheka komuntu kwesikhashana, uphatha umuntu ngokomongo nokuziphatha kwakhe. UNkulunkulu, phela, unguNkulunkulu, futhi unesithunzi saKhe; umuntu, phela-ke, ungumuntu, kanti ikhanda likaNkulunkulu ngeke liguqulwe uthando lomuntu oluphikisana neqiniso. Kunalokho, uphatha konke lokho okwenziwa umuntu ngokufanelekile.

Ebhekene nesimo somuntu nangendlela abheka ngayo uNkulunkulu, uNkulunkulu wenze umsebenzi omusha, uvumela umuntu abe nolwazi kanye nomthobela Yena, kanjalo nothando nobufakazi. Yingakho, umuntu kufanele abhekane nokucwengwa nguYe uNkulunkulu, kanjalo nokwahlulelwa nguYe, ukumazi kanye nokuthenwa nguYe, ngaphandle kwalokho umuntu ngeke abe nakho ukumazi uNkulunkulu, futhi ngeke akwazi ukumthanda ngokweqiniso kanye nokufakaza ngaYe. Ukucwengwa nguNkulunkulu komuntu akukona nje okokuzuzisa uhlangothi olulodwa, kodwa kunomphumela onezinhlangothi eziningi. Kungale ndlela kuphela lapho uNkulunkulu enza umsebenzi wokucwenga kulabo abazimisele ukufuna iqiniso, ukuze ukuzimisela kwakhe kanye nothando kwenziwe kuphelele nguNkulunkulu. Kulabo abazimisele ukufuna iqiniso, nalabo abalangazelele uNkulunkulu, ayikho into ebaluleke ngaphezu kwale, noma ewusizo ukwedlula, ukudlula ukucwengwa. Isimo sikaNkulunkulu asaziwa noma asiqondwa kalula ngumuntu, ngoba uNkulunkulu, ekugcineni, unguNkulunkulu. Ekupheleni kwakho konke, akwenzeki ukuthi uNkulunkulu abe nesimo esifanayo nesomuntu, yingakho kungelula ukuba umuntu asazi isimo saKhe. Iqiniso umuntu akazalwa nalo, futhi akulula ukuba liqondwe yilabo abangcoliswe nguSathane; umuntu akanalo iqiniso, futhi akanawo amandla okuphila ngeqiniso, futhi uma engahlupheki, futhi angacwengwa noma ahlulelwe, lapho-ke amandla akhe ngeke apheleliswe. Kubo bonke abantu, ukucwengwa kubuhlungu, futhi kunzima ukukwemukela—kodwa noma kunjalo kungesikhathi sokucwengwa lapho uNkulunkulu enza isimo saKhe sokulunga sicace bha kumuntu, futhi azise nomuntu izidingo nezimfuno zaKhe, futhi ahlinzeke ngokukhanya okuthe xaxa, kanye nokuthenwa nokusebenzelana; ngokuqhathaniswa phakathi kwamaphuzu namaqiniso, unikeza umuntu ulwazi oluthe xaxa ngaye nangeqiniso, aphinde anikeze umuntu ukuqonda okukhulu ngentando kaNkulunkulu, ngaleyo ndlela avumele umuntu ukuba abe nothando lweqiniso nolumsulwa lukaNkulunkulu. Lezi yizinhloso zikaNkulunkulu lapho enza ukucwengwa kwethu. Wonke umsebenzi awenzayo uNkulunkulu unezinhloso kanye nokubaluleka kwawo; uNkulunkulu akawenzi umsebenzi ongenamsebenzi nanhloso, futhi akawenzi umsebenzi ongeke uhlomulise umuntu. Ukucwengwa akuchazi ukususa abantu phambi kukaNkulunkulu, futhi akuchazi ukubashabalalisa esihogweni. Kuchaza ukushintsha isimo somuntu ngesikhathi sokucwengwa, ukushintsha izintshisekelo zakhe, imibono yakhe yakudala, ukushintsha uthando lwakhe ngoNkulunkulu, kanye nokushintsha impilo yakhe yonke. Ukucwengwa ukuvivinywa kwangempela komuntu, kanye nendlela yangokoqobo yokuqeqeshwa, futhi kungesikhathi sokucwengwa kuphela lapho uthando lwakhe lungenza umsebenzi walo ophelele.