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
Inā i nele kekahi o ʻoukou i ke akamai, e
noi aku ʻo ia i ke Akua i ka mea i hāʻawi
lokomaikaʻi mai no nā mea a pau me ka
hōʻino ʻole mai, a e hāʻawi ia mai nō ia
nona. – Iakobo 1:5 | | But if any of you lack wisdom, let him
ask of God, who gives to all generously
and without reproach, and it will be
given to him. – James 1:5
|
He manaʻo o ke kahu
As boarders at Kamehameha Schools Kapālama, my friends and I always wanted to spend our weekends in the water. By my freshman year, a small group of us had skillfully learned all the public bus routes to our favorite surf spots around Oʻahu. One Friday evening the surf report on KGMB noted a large south swell hitting the coast in the morning. We were all excited and planned to spend the next day bodysurfing right after eating breakfast.
After breakfast at ʻAkahi Dining Hall we caught a city bus that drove us through downtown Honolulu, on to Ala Moana Boulevard and dropped us off at Ahui Street. From there we walked makai to a well-known bodysurfing spot named Point Panics. Great name for this spot unless you are actually panicking while in the water.
Needless to say that is what happened to my friend Bernard and me as the waves at Panics were the largest we had ever witnessed there. Unfortunately, we got caught in a strong riptide that took us straight out to the biggest break where a large mountain of water broke right on us and pushed us towards the shore.
Usually, that would have been a good thing. However, there is no sandy shore at Panics, just an enormous seawall made up of large boulders that measured from four to six feet wide, creating a massive stone wall rising at least 10 feet from the surface of the sea. It was an ominous sight from our perspective, and we were desperate to get free from the grip of the surging ocean that kept sending waves our way causing us to continuously duck and hold our breath.
After 20 minutes of enduring a constant barrage of bashing of waves, I looked at Bernard and said, “Let’s pray!” God answered our prayer by pausing the relentless swell and gave us the insight to swim diagonally against the current to get out of harm’s way. Once we took this opportunity the waves started up again, but we were now in a better position to rest up so we could safely return to the exit steps carved into the stone wall on the west side of the Kewalo Basin Harbor.
One thing is for sure, we all come into this world lacking wisdom. My mode of learning when I was a youth was the hard way. This meant my listening skills took second place to my desire and curiosity. In other words, in my youth there was no “if” when it came to me being deficient in wisdom.
But in today’s scripture, God is essentially saying to us, “Just ask me and it (wisdom) will be given to you abundantly and what’s more it will be given to you without blame or criticism.”
What?! I remember at times my father being my biggest critic because I wasn’t listening to his or my mom’s instructions. Ouch! I had my fair share of culpability in family matters and the blaming would sometimes fill me with guilt. Guilt can kill the spirit and it is contrary to our God who is about living an abundant life.
When we seek God for understanding, for knowledge and for insight into areas of need, our God gives it to us freely and without the mixed messages of pointing out our character flaws. Instead, God offers us wisdom without the accusation of unworthiness.
It is often difficult to move through the day without fault weighing us down like the barrage of waves that kept me and my friend submerged. I encourage everyone to choose to live your life knowing that our ke Akua mana loa is always there for you and is able to free you from the grip of hopelessness and replace it with godly wisdom.
This week, ponder one of these topics each day:
1. Memorize James 1:5 and use it in your daily prayers this week as a guide for your spiritual, emotional and physical well-being.
2. Reflect on a time in your life when you needed insight into a particularly difficult issue that you were dealing with. Did you ask for God’s wisdom to help you? If yes, what happened? If not, what would you do differently?
3. During this global pandemic we have been inundated with conflicting news reports. How does knowing that you have access to godly wisdom for your benefit impact your decision-making when discovering the truth in the media?
4. Read Mark 12:13-17 where the Pharisees try to trick Jesus into denouncing the payment of taxes to Caesar. Jesus’ wisdom is astounding in this rendition found in the Gospel of Mark. Just know that this is the kind of wisdom that is offered to us!
5. Pray for God’s wisdom to be with you and over you as you navigate each day’s blessings.
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