Contributed by KS Kapālama Kahu Manu Naeʻole KSK'96
Ka Ipu o Lono shares weekly devotionals to provide spiritual enrichment to members of the Kamehameha Schools ‘ohana. For more inspiration, visit the KS “Our faith” website.
Heluhelu Baibala
A laila, hiki maila ka ʻōlelo a Iēhova iaʻu, ʻī maila, “Ma mua aku o kaʻu hana ʻana iā ʻoe i loko o ka ʻōpū, ʻike aku nō au iā ʻoe;- Ieremia 1:4-5
“The word of the Lord came to me, saying, Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”- Jeremiah 1:4-5
He manaʻo o ke kahu
“New year, new me” is a mantra many have used to ring in the new year. New Year’s resolutions have been a part of our culture for some time now, and most aim at changing something in ourselves. IHRSA, the global fitness and health organizaiton, reports 12% of new gym memberships in January, while the other months average about 8% of new sign-ups. The gym increase is rooted in the idea of a fresh start as the calendar turns to a new year. Change is the motivation for a new me, a fresh start, and a new calendar. There is something we perceive to be wrong about ourselves, so January begins a time to change. We want to read more books, pray more, or work out more regularly to change.
God calls Jeremiah to become “a prophet to the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5). It’s not easy to minister to the people of Jerusalem as they are heading into exile. Life for the people of Jerusalem is turning, and Jeremiah’s message will be about a new lifestyle, and inevitably Jeremiah will be changed as well. Jeremiah can move forward in making change for God because he understands God has already chosen him. “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, before you were born I set you apart” (Jeremiah 1:5).
Christmas is the reminder of God coming to be with us, and the new year is an opportunity to make good changes, but to make good changes with the understanding that God already knows us and has already set us apart. As we move forward in the new year, and as we change our reading habits, diets, and spiritual disciplines, may we move forward in making changes for the glory of the God who already knows us.
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