I will share about Christian books I have read or listened to.
I will be sharing about my life before and after Christ. I will include stories about my pet and other pets I have encountered.
Set Apart
In modern language, "holy" often means something religious or spiritual. But in the Bible, “holy” simply means “set apart.” It means something (or someone) different and distinct from everything else.
God is unlike any other gods the nations knew. The Lord is holy and called His people to be distinct—or holy—too.
Some of the distinctions that set the Israelite practices apart were religious and spiritual. They offered sacrifices in a certain way and had specific instructions for how priests, worship, and the temple operated. Other practices that set Israel apart involved everyday things, like food, clothing, and their weekly calendars. These habits and customs were meant to reflect and reinforce that they were truly different—or holy—because they belonged to God.
The fourth commandment given to Israel is to "remember the Sabbath day" and keep it holy—a reminder to Israel of the blessed pattern God laid out in Creation. Just as our Holy Creator worked for six days and rested on a seventh, He calls His holy people to do the same.
What's holy about the Sabbath? It's a day set apart to be different from all the other days of the week. God intends for one day a week to look and feel different. As people who belong to Him, we can delight in His designation of some days as productive days for work and then other days set apart for reflection and refreshment.
Remember, God created special times for rest—keep those times set apart.
Our Shield and Warrior
One of the primary images of God in the Old Testament is that of God as Warrior. All throughout Scripture, God is frequently going to battle for His people or standing with them in the midst of difficulty—protecting them from harm.
Scripture tells us that God does not idly stand aside and watch His children fight alone. He's a warrior—our Warrior—who's actively protecting His people.
This is why the writer of Psalm 3 calls God a Shield that surrounds him. God is not distant—He is present and active in our lives. Even though we may experience pain and suffering, we can go to God for help and safety. He knows how to protect us, and fight for us.
The writer of this Psalm also says that God is the One who lifts our heads in the midst of difficulty. It can be easy to become discouraged or tired in the middle of hard times. But even in those moments, God supports us.
When we come to God as our Shield, He not only protects us, but He also gives us hope and peace. He ...
