Kodi Mawu Anu Ochuluka Otani Obisika Mumtima Mwanga?

“Mawu Anu ndinawabisa mu mtima mwanga, kuti ndisalakwire Inu.” Lemba la Salimo 119:11

 limati: “Mbiri ya tchalitchi imanena za nthawi imene Baibulo linali loletsedwa kwa anthu. Anakwiriridwa m’zinenero zakufa, ndipo kwenikweni kunali makope oŵerengeka chabe ndipo ameneŵa anamangidwira ku maguwa m’malo olambirira. Lerolino tili nalo lisindikizidwe m’zinenero zambiri ndi m’zinenero zambiri ndi m’masamba ake wofunafuna chowonadi wodzipereka, m’maiko ambiri, angasinkhesinkhe ndi kupemphera ndi ufulu wangwiro. Ngati Mabaibulo athu onse ndi mabuku onse ofotokoza za m’Baibulo amene timawadziŵa anawonongedwa mwanjira inayake, kodi ndi mbali ziti za Mawu amene amati ndi amtengo wapataliwo zimene tingapereke kuti abwezeretsedwe? Kukumbukira chenjezo louziridwa lakuti, “Chifukwa chake tiyenera kusamaladi kuzinthu zimene tidazimva, kuti kapena tingalole kuti titengeke.” Kodi sikofunikira kuti nafenso tinene mofanana ndi wamasalimo kuti, “Mawu anu ndinawabisa mumtima mwanga? Pali zifukwa zambiri zimene Mawu a Mulungu ayenera kusungidwa m’chikumbukiro. Ukhungu ndi kuvutika kwakuthupi kosiyanasiyana zingachotse kwa ife chisangalalo cha kudziŵerengera tokha masamba ake, koma ngati chikumbukirocho chikhala chodzala ndi malonjezo ake, maulosi, ndi malangizo ake, pangakhale kukhudzana kosatha. Ndiyeno, kodi ndi chida chotani chimene chili chogwira mtima kwambiri monga “Lupanga la Mzimu, ndilo Mawu a Mulungu,” pamene Satana amabwera ndi ziyeso zake zosaoneka bwino? Palibe chida choposa china chilichonse chimene tapatsidwa chimene tingathe “kuzimitsa mivi yonse yoyaka moto ya woipayo.” Kulimbitsidwa ndi Mawu amenewo, chikhulupiriro chathu sichidzapezedwa kuima “m’nzeru za anthu, koma mu mphamvu ya Mulungu,” pakuti “atero Ambuye” adzafunika pa chilichonse cha chikhulupiriro chathu. Baibulo limavumbula, monga momwe palibe mabuku ena onse padziko lapansi amachitira, mtima wa Mulungu mogwirizana ndi ana a anthu, amene chisangalalo chawo ndi chisoni chawo, ziyembekezo ndi mantha, machimo ndi kukayika, zokhumba ndi zolephera zimakhalabe chimodzimodzi. Pokhapokha mu kuunika kwa vumbulutso limenelo pamene zochitika zosiyanasiyanazi zingapeze kutanthauzira kokhutiritsa. Kwanenedwa bwino lomwe ndi wina kuti, “Malinga ngati mtima uli ndi zilakolako, ndipo malinga ngati moyo uli ndi matsoka, chitonthozo cha Malemba Opatulika chidzakhala chothandizira kufunafuna kapena kuvutika mtima.” Ndipo ndi telesikopu yotani nanga imene diso lachikhulupiriro lingayang’ane nalo kupitirira m’mawonekedwe akuthupi, kuwona Mfumu mu kukongola kwake konse, ndi kutenga masomphenya a ulemerero wamtsogolo ndi chidziŵitso changwiro chokhazikitsidwa mumkhalidwe waukulu wamuyaya.

Mawu a Mulungu ndi nyali ndi kuunika kotsogolera munthu m’njira zopotoka za moyo, dzuŵa losonyeza kumene njira yonse ikupita—ngakhale kumwamba kwenikweniko. Mawu a Mulungu amadza ngati mvula yamvumbi yotsitsimula, ndipo amasungunuka ngati mame pamene mtima watonthozedwa kukhala bata losinkhasinkha, ndi lotsekemera ngati uchi palawa. Pali mkaka wa makanda ndi nyama yolimba ya okhwima. Ufulu ndi lonjezo lake, “Mudzazindikira chowonadi, ndipo chowonadi chidzakumasulani.” Amene wautsatira ayenda momasuka. Awa ndi mawu a Paulo m’ndende amene ananena kuti, “Mawu a Mulungu samangidwa.” ( 2 Tim. 2:9 ) Mawu a Mulungu amenewa ndi omveka. Ndi chuma chambiri kwa wokhulupirira aliyense payekha, komanso kwa mpingo pamodzi. Mlembi wake ndi Wolamulira wa moyo, amene m’Mawu Ake amalongosola, kuwongolera, kudzudzula, kutonthoza, kukweza moyo umene palibe wina aliyense koma Iye yekha angaudziwe bwino lomwe, ndipo palibe wina koma Iye amene angaukhutiritse kosatha. Palibe kutanthauzira kwachinsinsi kwa munthu kapena mpingo komwe kungaloledwe kupeputsa kapena kufooketsa Mawu, omwe amuna oyera amalankhula chifukwa "adasonkhezeredwa" kutero ndi Mzimu Woyera, ndipo zomwe zingalimbikitse ofufuza odzichepetsa kuphunzira ndi kumvetsetsa. Palibe chomwe chimafotokozedwa momveka bwino m'Baibulo kuposa mfundo yakuti Mzimu Woyera adzagwiritsa ntchito mwatsopano Mawuwo kuti akwaniritse zosowa zathu zapano. Kuti ukhale chimene Mulungu akufuna kuti ukhale kwa ife, uyenera kutengedwa ngati uthenga waumwini, uthenga wowerengeredwa kutisambitsa ndi kutiyeretsa. Chothekera ndiko kuliona Baibulo ngati fano, kulipanga kukhala bukhu lofunika makamaka chifukwa chakuti limamveketsedwa kukhala lochirikiza mzera wa matanthauzidwe okondedwa kwa ife, chotulukapo cha malingaliro athu. Njira yothetsera zimenezi ndi kukhala ndi mzimu wolemera, mzimu wophunzitsa ndi womvera, umene umapemphera kuti, “Lankhulani, Ambuye, pakuti kapolo wanu amva.” Pamenepo Mawuwo adzapangidwa kukhala uthenga wamoyo, wokhala ndi mphamvu zatsopano, zikhumbo zatsopano, kuti “munthu wa Mulungu akhale wokonzeka” nthaŵi zonse ndi kuwongolera mapazi ake mogwirizana ndi Mawu amenewo.

“Kuwala kwa dziko lapansi ndi Yesu.” M'Malemba zonse zimapita kwa iye kapena kupita kwa iye. Chotero, kumupanga iye kukhala Mbuye-kuunika kwa moyo wathu ndiko kutsatira lamulo lomveka bwino ndi lanzeru la kumasulira kozikidwa pa zowona za mlanduwo. M’chimenechi tili ndi chitsanzo chake, pamene iye akachotsa kusamvetsetsana ndi kudzaza mitima ndi chisangalalo choyaka moto, “kuyambira pa Mose ndi aneneri onse, anawafotokozera iwo m’malembo onse zinthu za iye mwini” ( Luka 24:27 ). Chotero timayang’ana kwa Yesu Kuwala ndi Moyo wathu, pakuti iyenso ali “Mtumwi ndi Mkulu wa Ansembe wa chikhulupiriro chathu.” Izi zikuyang'ana m'mayanjano amtsogolo omwe adalonjezedwa omwe adzalamulira naye. Zonsezi, motero, zikuphatikizapo kuphunzitsidwa kwangwiro ndi kukhazikika kwa khalidwe mu mfundo za chilungamo. Chifukwa cha maphunziro ndi khalidwe lomweli, mphamvu yokhwima imeneyi yoweruza zinthu zonse mu kuwala kwa choonadi changwiro, ndi kulingalira nkhani zonse ndi kuzindikira koyenera, Mawu a Mulungu ndi chida chosankhidwa chimene Yesu anatiphunzitsa kuti Mzimu adzagwiritse ntchito. Chotero, ndithudi, kunalembedwa kalekale kuti: “Ndili ndi luntha koposa aphunzitsi anga onse, pakuti mboni zanu ndizo kuzisinkhasinkha kwanga” ( Sal. 119:99 ). Kodi tingatsimikizire kwa Mulungu, “Mawu anu ndawabisa mu mtima mwanga?” Kodi tingatsimikizire moonadi kotero kuti pansi pa mayesero tidzapezeka otetezedwa, oyeretsedwa ndi okhwima ndi icho? Kenako, pokumbukira kuti iye, yemwe ndi Mawu amoyo, watithandiza kudziwa kuti nayenso ayenera kuikidwa pampando wachifumu mumtima. Kodi tingatsimikizire ndi chidaliro kuti iye ali ndi Ulamuliro wosatsutsika kumeneko? Zoonadi, ngati Mawu olembedwa ndi Mawu amoyo zonse zili m’mitima yathu, uchimo sungathe kutilamulira. Izi pokhala choncho, chowonadi chili chozama chotani nanga m’mawu a Mtumwi wina: “Ngati tiyenda m’kuunika, monga Iye ali m’kuunika, tiyanjana wina ndi mnzake, ndi mwazi wa Yesu Kristu Mwana wake utisambitsa kutichotsera anthu onse. uchimo” (1 Yohane 1:7). Pano, chikondi ndi kuyesa kwa kuwala ndi kuyeretsedwa kwathu. Umboni wakuti tili m’kuunika kwa Mawu a Mulungu umapezeka m’mayanjano athu a chilengedwe chonse ndi onse amene ali ndi Yesu monga kuunika kwawo ndi kuyeretsedwa kwa mwazi wake. Iye amene ayenda m’cikondi ici ali m’kuunika. Iye amene sayenda mu chikondi ichi akuyenda mumdima, ndipo mumdima umenewo sipangakhale masomphenya a nkhope ya Yesu Khristu. Popanda masomphenya a nkhope yake, “kuunika kwa ulemerero wa Mulungu monga kuwala pankhope ya Yesu Kristu” kukubisidwa; chotero, palibe kuyeretsedwa, palibe kusandulika mu chifaniziro chake. Monga anamwali opusa a m’fanizolo, amene nyali zawo mosakayikira zinali zokonzedwanso mofanana ndi zija zonyamulidwa ndi ochenjera, koma tsoka! opanda mafuta m'zotengera zawo, kotero kuti zikhale ndi ife. Baibulo lodziwika bwino silingalowe m’malo mwa mtima wodzazidwa ndi Khristu. Kuli kokha pamene kukongola kwa ungwiro Wake kubweretsedwa m’mitima yathu ndi miyoyo yathu m’pamene timaona kuwala m’kuunika kwake, ndi kulandira mwaulemerero ndi kuwalitsa kuunika kwa ulemerero wa Mulungu.” 

How Much of Thy Word Is Hidden In My Heart?

“Thy Word have I hid in my heart,
that I might not sin against Thee.”
Psalm 119:11

“Church history tells of a time when the Bible was forbidden to the people.  It was buried in dead languages, and at most there were only a few copies and these chained to pulpits in places of worship.  Today we have it printed in most languages and dialects and over its pages the devout searcher for truth, in most countries, may meditate and pray with perfect freedom.
 
If all copies of our Bible and all Biblical literature with which we are familiar were somehow destroyed, what portions of that pro-fessedly treasured Word could we contribute toward its restoration?  Remembering the inspired warning, “Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.” Is it not important that we too may say with the Psalmist, “Thy Word have I hid in my heart?”  Many are the reasons why the Word of God should be stored up in the memory.  Blindness and various physical afflictions can remove from us the joy of reading its pages for ourselves, but if the memory be filled with its promises, prophecies, and precepts, there can be unbroken contact therewith.  Then, too, what weapon is so effective as “the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God,” when Satan comes with his subtle temptations?  No better weapon has been given us whereby we may “quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.”  Fortified with that Word, our faith will never be found standing “in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God,” for a “thus saith the Lord” will be required for every item of our faith.
 
The Bible reveals, as no other literature in the world does, the heart of God in relation to the sons of men, whose joys and sorrows, hopes and fears, sins and doubts, longings and failures remain ever the same.  Only in the light of that revelation can these varied experiences find a satisfactory interpretation.  It has been well said by some one, “As long as the heart has passions, and as long as life has woes, the comfort of the Holy Scriptures will be the boon of the inquiring or troubled heart.”  And what a telescope it is by which the eye of faith may look far beyond the horizons of physical sight, seeing the King in all his beauty, and catching visions of future glories and perfect knowledge framed in the large dimension of eternity.
 
God’s Word is a lamp and light to guide individual steps along life’s devious paths, a sun above showing whither the path as a whole leads--even to heaven itself.  God’s Word comes as the rain in showers of refreshing, and it distills as the dew when the heart is stilled into meditative quietness, and sweet as honey to the taste.  There is milk for babes and strong meat for the mature.  Freedom is its promise, “Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  He who follows it walks at large in liberty. This the word of Paul in prison who declares, “The Word of God is not bound” (2 Tim. 2:9).  It is great treasure indeed to the individual believer, and also to the Church collectively. Its Author is the Ruler of life, who in His Word describes, directs, rebukes, consoles, elevates the soul which none but He alone can thoroughly know, and none but He can abidingly satisfy.
 
No private interpretation of individual or church can ever be allowed to petrify or fossilize the Word, which holy men spoke because “moved” to do so by the Holy Spirit, and which will move humble searchers to study and understand.  Nothing is made clearer in the Bible than the fact that the Holy Spirit will ever be making fresh applications of that Word to meet our present need.  To be what God wants it to be to us, it must be taken as a personal message, a message calculated to wash and sanctify us.  Possible it is to treat the Bible as an idol, to make it a book valued mainly because it is understood to support a line of interpretations dear to us, the product of our own imaginations.  The remedy for this is a rich possession of the spirit, the spirit of teachableness and obedience, which prays, “Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth.”  Then the Word will be made a living message, with new power, new aspirations, that “the man of God may be thoroughly furnished” at all times and have his feet directed according to that Word.
 
“The Light of the world is Jesus.”  In Scripture all leads up to him or on from him.  Therefore, to make him the Master-light of our life is to follow a sound and wise law of interpretation based on the facts of the case.  In this we have his own example, when he would clear away misunderstandings and fill hearts with burning joy, “beginning  at  Moses  and  all  the  prophets,  he  expounded  unto  them in all the Scriptures  the  things  concerning  himself”  (Luke 24:27).   Thus  we look unto Jesus our Light and Life, for he is also “the Apostle and High Priest of our profession.”  This looks into the future associations promised those who shall reign with him.  All this, therefore, involves an eventual attainment of perfect training and a fixity of character in the principles of righteousness.  For this same training and character, this mature power to judge of all things in the light of perfect truth, and estimating all issues with proper insight, the Word of God is the chosen instrument Jesus taught us the Spirit would use.  Thus, indeed, it was written long ago:  “I have more understanding than all my teachers, for thy testimonies are my meditation”  (Psa. 119:99).
 
Can we affirm to God, “Thy Word have I hid in my heart?”  Can we affirm it so truthfully that under test we will be found fortified, sanctified and matured by it?
 
Then, remembering that he, who is the Living Word, has made us know that he too must be enthroned in the heart. Can we affirm in confidence that he has an undisputed Rulership there?  Truly, if the written Word and the Living Word are both in possession of our hearts, sin can never gain the mastery over us.  This being so, how deep a truth lies in the words of another Apostle:  “If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).
 
Here, love is the test of our light and cleansing.  The proof that we are in the light of God’s Word is found in our universal fellowship with all who have Jesus as their light and the cleansing of his blood.  He who walks in this love is in the light.  He who walks not in this love walks in darkness, and in that darkness there can be no vision of the face of Jesus Christ.  With no vision of his face, “the light of the glory of God as it shines in the face of Jesus Christ” is obscured; therefore, no sanctification, no transformation into his image.  Like the foolish virgins of the parable, whose lamps were no doubt as well trimmed as those carried by the wise, but alas! with no oil in their vessels--so it can be with us.  A well-known Bible is no substitute for a Christ-filled heart.  It is only when the beauty of His perfection is brought into our hearts and lives that we see light in his light, and gloriously receive and reflect the light of the glory of God.”                                      

                                                                                    J.J.Blackburn ©CDMI

“Divine Instructor, gracious Lord be Thou forever near;
Teach me to love Thy sacred Word and view my Saviour here.”