Separated!

Separates!

‭Leviticus 20:26 AMP‬

[26] You are to be holy to Me; for I the Lord am holy, and have set you apart from the peoples (nations) to be Mine.

As you read the book of Leviticus, you find a lot of instructions given to the people of Israel, who had been set apart by God as His own treasured possession. The tribe of Levi, which is also an offshoot of the book itself, was chosen by God to serve in the priestly office. The demands of the chosen are always different from those who belong to the crowd. The expectations from the multitude will always be different from those of the chosen. It is very important for me to sort out my place and identity, so I can define what is expected of me, and I can pursue that which I know is God's expectations for me. Do I know who I am, who I belong to, and whom I have been set apart to follow and serve?

The declaration in the verse above was made directly by God. I am holy to Him, if indeed I have accepted Him as Lord, Saviour and Master. It is also important that I do the total submission, because God cannot work with a vessel that He does not own or control, or a heart that He cannot direct or influence. I want God to do mighty things in me, or to start a great work through me, yet my heart is not subject to His instructions or directions. How do I promote God's position, when I am not yet in His camp? Does He own me? Does He own you? Can He demand my allegiance to Him alone, or are there other concerns that take priority over Him? 

I must remember that God will not demand from me that which He has not first supplied grace and strength for. If He demands holiness, it is because help to attain it has been made available. As He commands holiness, He is the perfect example to emulate and because He wants the world to know the difference, He supplies the help I need to also live up to His expectations. It will never be an excuse to claim my human nature as the reason why I could not live holy, because from the start, God never intended that I should rely on brute strength or human wisdom to attain the supernatural. Only the supernatural can sustain the supernatural. 

I am set apart from the principles and practices of the world around me. I live by different standards because I bear allegiance to a new Lord and King. Ownership always defines benefits. Whoever owns me defines my pursuits, priorities and purposes. God will only sustain that which He ordains. He cannot be found or caught in sin, and His grace will not continue to abound where sin is permitted to abound. I am set apart from the world, and I must dare to stand alone if need be. The world will not embrace the things of God; I also must not embrace the things of the world. I belong to God now; I am owned by Him. He takes care of His own. Do you belong to Him? God's time of favour is here.