Wisdom DateSample

Be Holy

My friend,

Many years ago, the Lord entered my broken life and changed everything. This Bible plan shares the highlights of all He taught me in my first years of knowing Him. I am now eighty-three years old. My life has had many beautiful and painful additions since these early years of Holy Spirit’s intense training. But lessons He kneaded into my life as a young woman have served me well. I can say with certainty, “The Lord is faithful! Our God is good!”

May these next twelve days bring you nuggets of practical Godly wisdom.

With joy in Jesus,

Sandra

January 1967 settled in, bitter cold with frequent snows. My husband Bill was an alcoholic—had been for many years—and our marriage was in crisis. I was raising our two little daughters almost by myself. This particular Saturday night I was working the graveyard shift at the hospital as an R.N. Duties complete, I clocked out wondering how I would make it through another day. But there was no time to think about me.

Arriving home, Susan, age six, and Sandy, age three, greeted me with hugs and happy chatter, ready for breakfast. I automatically dressed my daughters and myself for the 8:30 a.m. service and left for church. My husband Bill never went with us, not even on Easter or Christmas.

I moved to my usual pew in the right front portion of the sanctuary and sank listlessly into my seat. In the ensuing quiet I evaluated my situation. Our income had been insufficient for our bills for some time. It had been one year since the death of Bill’s dad—I wondered if he had been sober since. And I had spent the last year on a destructive course of my own, searching for meaning for my life.

Despite my exhaustion and distraction, the sermon caught my attention from the start. I listened intently as the minister preached on holiness from I Peter 1:15-16. He explained that holiness is one of the essential elements of God's nature and He requires it of His children. God is holy, and we are to be holy. Thankfully, he concluded with a practical plan to discover the components of holiness:

• Set aside a place and time to meet with God for fifteen minutes each day.

• Sing or read through a hymn.

• Read a portion of the Bible.

• Pray. He talked of prayer as a conversation with a friend. He encouraged us to pour out all our troubles to our Father in Heaven and then spend time listening. He explained that God speaks in different ways, but we would learn to recognize His voice as we spent time with Him.

As I absorbed this message, I was consumed by the desire for holiness. I remember thinking that if I could choose between holiness and anything else—even a large amount of money or Bill's freedom from alcoholism—I would choose holiness. I was excited. Here was something I could do! 

I started my quest the very next morning. I picked our bedroom for my specific place and 10 a.m. as my appointed time, then completed all the steps faithfully every day. How could I know I was being prepared for a personal encounter with God?

Holiness is God’s defining characteristic. He is set apart and completely unique in His perfection, power, and goodness. He calls His people to a life of holiness. When my heart burned for holiness, it was really burning for Him. He was calling me to Himself. Today’s Scriptures describe God’s holiness and what holy living looks like. Reverence and enjoy Him, dear child.