Bible Society of South Africa
Gerhard Lindeque

Pentecost – Day 7 (1 July)

God’s Spirit encourages us from the Bible during uncertain circumstances

Se(di)ngolwa (t)sa Bibele

Pesalema 119

Nun

105Lentswe la hao

ke lebone maotong a ka,

ke lesedi tseleng ya ka.

Pesalema 119:105SSO89SOBula ka mmadi wa Bibele

LUKA 24

Leeto la ho ya Emmause

13Ka lona letsatsi leo barutuwa ba babedi ba ne ba eya motsaneng o bitswang Emmause, o bohole ba dikilomethara tse leshome le motso o mong ho tloha Jerusalema. 14Ba ne ba qoqa ka diketsahalo tseo tsohle. 15Ha ba ntse ba qoqa jwalo, ba buisana, Jesu ka sebele a atamela, a tsamaya le bona, 16empa mahlo a bona a rebeha, ba se ke ba mo tseba.

17A re ho bona: “Ditaba tseo le tsamayang le buisana ka tsona ke dife?”

Ba ema tlekelele! Ba swabile. 18E mong wa bona, ya bitswang Keleopase, a mo araba, a re: “Na ebe ke wena feela o leng moeti moo Jerusalema, ya sa tsebeng tse etsahetseng teng matsatsing aa?”

19A re ho bona: “Dife?”

Ba re ho yena: “Tsa Jesu wa Nasaretha, eo e neng e le monna wa moporofeta ya matla diketsong le dithutong pela Modimo le pela setjhaba sohle, 20kamoo baprista ba baholo le babusi ba rona ba neelaneng ka yena hore a ahlolelwe lefu kateng, ba bileng ba mo thakgisa. 21Rona re ne re tshepile hore ke yena ya tla lopolla Iseraele. Ntle ho tsena tsohle, lena ke letsatsi la boraro tsena di etsahetse. 22Empa basadi ba bang ba habo rona ba re makaditse. Ba ile ba tsohella lebitleng, 23feela ba se ke ba fumana setopo sa hae. Ba kgutla ba re ba bone mangeloi a reng o a phela. 24Le ba bang ba neng ba ena le rona ba ile ba ya lebitleng, mme ba fumana ho le jwalokaha basadi ba ile ba bolela, empa yena ha ba a ka ba mmona.”

25A re ho bona: “Jo, dithoto tse pelo di diehang ho dumela tsohle tseo baporofeta ba ileng ba di bolela! 26Na Kreste o ne a sa tlameha ho hlokofatswa tjee, a nto kena tlotleng ya hae?” 27A qala ka Moshe le ka Baporofeta bohle, a ba qaqisetsa tse amanang le yena, tse Mangolong wohle.

28Ha ba atamela motsaneng oo ba yang ho wona, Jesu a etsa sa mokana a fetela pele. 29Ba mo qophella, ba re: “Hlola le rona, hobane letsatsi le se le rapame, mme e se e tla ba mantsiboya.” Yaba o a kena, o hlola le bona.

30Eitse ha a le dijong le bona, a nka bohobe, a boka, a bo ngwatha, a ba nea bona. 31Jwale ha re etlo! mahlong, mme ba mo tseba, empa a ba nyamella. 32Ba botsana, ba re: “Ana pelo tsa rona di ne di sa tjhese ka ho rona ha a bua le rona tseleng, a ntse a re hlalosetsa Mangolo na?”

33Ba ema ka yona nako eo, ba kgutlela Jerusalema. Ba fumana ba leshome le motso o mong le ba nang le bona ba phuthehile, 34ba bile ba bolela hore Morena o fela a tsohile, mme o iponahaditse ho Simone. 35Le bona ba pheta tse etsahetseng leetong la bona, le kamoo ba ileng ba mo tseba kateng, ha a ngwatha bohobe.

LUKA 24:13-35SSO89SOBula ka mmadi wa Bibele

When things do not work out as we had hoped or planned, it is only human to become discouraged at some point. Sometimes, our circumstances can suddenly change and life seems dark and uncertain. We sometimes feel like the two men who were on their way to Emmaus. They were very dissapointed and said: “We were just hoping that …”

Jesus then joins them on the road and where does Jesus begin to give them hope again? He begins with the Bible. He talks to them about the statements in scripture that apply to him. As they continue to walk, their hearts become warm again, in other words, they are filled with hope again. Even though it is getting dark around them, their lives are filled with light again.

This passage reaffirms the immeasurable value of the Bible to us. When people talk about the Bible, there is hope and light in the darkness. Psalm 119:105, for example, confirms this: “Your Word is a lamp to guide me and a light for my path.” Note that the light is not far away, but right in front of your feet so that you can take the next step. It assures us of God’s presence. He is with us on our life path. God is not just waiting for us in heaven one day. Through his Word and Spirit, God walks with us through life.

It is imperative that people hear this wonderful message, for God’s Spirit uses the Bible to shed light during uncertain times. Read and reflect on it regularly and talk to others about it. Through his Word, God’s Spirit warms our hearts and brings our hope back. Whatever our circumstances may be, may we always experience the warmth of the Lord’s presence and the light of his Word on our life path.

Bible Society of South Africav.4.26.9
RE FUMANE HO