December: Set Apart for a New Beginning

The final month of the year is culturally defined as the meeting ground for setting intentions, outlining plans and making changes for the coming new year. Now more than ever, it’s crucial that we identify the Godly ways in which we can step into this new season — purified, prepared and set apart.

Just as God himself is holy, He desires for us to be holy, or set apart. This requires living purely, and living a life that honors God, committing every part of our lives to him. But what does that mean?! How do we do this?!

Holiness is often related to separateness in the Bible. God often physically separated individuals in order to meet with them or reveal Himself to them. He separated the Israelites many times. He placed them in the wilderness, isolated from the rest of the world. He also separates roles and things, commanding the priests to wear an inscription and commanding that even the pots and pans be made of fine material and set aside for holy use.

When God sets you apart, it doesn’t always feel good, but it is always for good. Even Jesus went into the desert alone. But being set apart doesn’t mean loneliness, it means separation from evil, or things “of the world.” It means living separately from anything that is not of God.

This month, we’ll continue to follow the Israelites’ journey post-Exodus, as they (and we) discover how we can prepare for a new beginning, living differently because we belong to God. We’ll learn how to manage everyday holiness in our habits and prepare our hearts for the new year.

Here are the daily readings for the month of December: