Holy

Numbers 15:39-40, "And it shall be to you a fringe or tassel that you may look upon and remember all the commandments of the Lord and do them, that you may not spy out and follow after [the desires of ] your own heart and your own eyes, after which you used to follow and play the harlot [spiritually, if not physically], that you may remember and do all My commandments and be holy to your God."

The Lord told Moses to tell the Israelites to, "...make fringes or tassels on the corners in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and put upon the fringe of the borders or upon the tassel of each corner a cord of blue." (verse 38). This was to remind them to follow God instead of following their own paths.

As I read these verses last night, they really stood out to me!

When I think about what these verses say, I see very clearly that I need to follow God instead of following my own desires. The question is this: "Am I following where God is leading me, or am I following the path that I want to take?"

When I think of the word "holy", what comes to my mind is being set apart. We're told in Leviticus 20:26, "And you shall be holy to Me; for I the Lord am holy, and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be Mine." This is what He spoke to the Israelites, His chosen people.

As Christians, we are also God's children. Being chosen as God's people is an amazingly wonderful thing! But we must realize that we're called to be set apart for God when we are His children. We aren't supposed to blend in with the world and its standards.

This does not mean that we look at ourselves as being above other people. What this means is that we live to glorify God instead of living in an ungodly manner. We are called to a higher standard of living.

Ever since I was a little girl, I've felt like God had me set apart for something great! It excited me then, and it continues to excite me now, this journey that God has planned for me. Sometimes it wasn't easy feeling like I was set apart, though. At times, I felt the pain of not being invited to things because people looked at me as the "good girl". Sometimes it troubled me that I felt conviction in my heart about things that others would consider to be completely normal. To be set apart for God is wonderful, but it will require letting go of our own hearts desires and instead remembering to do all of God's commandments and be holy to Him.

What I've finally found, though, is that the little I may have to give up in order to follow where God is leading me cannot ever begin to compare with the incredible blessings that come from living in the center of God's will.

Quite honestly, the things we run to for our own fulfillment only leave us more empty in the end than we were to begin with, but when we run after God, we find everything we were searching for but couldn't find.

Are you ready to stop following your own plans for your life and jump on the path that God has waiting for you? Me too!

Dear Heavenly Father,

Sometimes when I hear that I need to let go of my own wants and desires to follow Your leading, I don't like that, but in the end, it is so worth it. Help me to surrender every area of my life to You and hold nothing back. In Jesus' Name.

Amen.