Wednesday: Set Apart

John 17:16-17, “They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.” 

Have you ever felt set aside? Set aside means to reserve, delay, or discard. There have been times throughout my life where I have been set aside, discarded, tossed away…rejected. Some of those instances have been incredibly painful and hurtful, some have been embarrassing and humiliating, while other situations left me feeling like I wasn’t enough or something about me was wrong. It wasn’t until I shared these feelings with a trusted friend that it was pointed out to me that I wasn’t necessarily being set aside, maybe I was being set apart. Maybe, just maybe, God was using those painful and embarrassing and hurtful moments to redirect me, to use me in a different way. I think we often confuse “set aside” with “set apart.” Set apart means to distinguish, single out, or dedicate. One dismisses, the other dedicates. One annuls the other distinguishes. I love that God uses those who the world, and even fellow believers, reject. He is the ultimate authority, and I am so thankful that He is a God Who is able to take hands that are empty and set them apart for His purpose, mouths that are not so eloquent and set them apart for His purpose, feet that stumble and set them apart for His purpose - hear me please when I say - God has called you, chosen you, and set you apart for a specific purpose and plan. You may not understand, you may feel alone and forsaken, you may feel despair, heartache, hopelessness, depression, and like the nights will never end, but I promise you - none of those things are too big that our God cannot handle them and use them for His glory and our good. Joy, sweet friend, comes in the morning.

If you think experiencing being set aside is hard, try watching someone you love - your child, husband, wife, family member, friend, teammate - be set aside. When they don’t make the cut, don’t get the new job that you know they desperately hoped for, when they failed the test they spent weeks and months studying and preparing for, when it seems like life has set them aside, and there is nothing you can do to fix their pain, that is a different kind of ache. (I will add that while you may not be able to fix their pain, you can help them bear it by walking with them through those valleys, being a trusted and reliable shoulder and friend, praying for them - those prayers both heard and unheard - are, I believe, what makes all the difference. In my experience, there aren’t expectations of you to fix it anyway, just knowing that they are not alone makes a lasting impact).

The last few weeks, the Lord has really been working on my heart and using Jochebed, Bithiah, and Miriam to teach me some truths about being set apart. Jochebed was Moses’ momma. Bithiah was Pharaoh’s daughter, and Miriam was the daughter of Jochebed and sister to Moses. All three of these women were set apart and asked to do hard things. Scary things. Dangerous things. Many of us know the story of Moses and how when he was born there was a command from Pharaoh to kill every male child born to the Hebrews. We follow the account in Exodus 2, where we read that Moses was born and how his mom hid him for the first 3 months of his life. Can you imagine the constant fear that must have struck Jochebed’s heart every time Moses cried? Those calming snuggles, those tender shushes in the middle of the night - those sleepless nights must have seemed never-ending and too short all at the same time. Jochebed knew she couldn’t hide him forever, so she came up with a crazy plan. She made a basket and placed her precious baby boy in it, and then placed him in the reeds by the riverbank.

Now enters Miriam. Verse 4, “And his sister stood at a distance to know what would be done to him.” Miriam was tasked with watching over Moses and seeing what would become of her baby brother. I can imagine her heart pounding as she waited, sweat trickling down her back, barely able to take a deep breath, hoping and trusting that her baby brother would live.

Let’s talk about Bithiah. Pharaoh’s daughter was a young woman with a tender and compassionate heart. Bithiah saw the basket in the reeds and sent a servant to bring it to her, when she opened the basket she saw a crying baby Moses. She knew that he was one of the Hebrew children, she knew what his fate was supposed to be, and yet, she was in a place where she could make a difference, and she did. (Shout out to all of the foster and adoption mommas - you are a beautiful example of what it means to be grafted into a forever family, of seeing a need and stepping in to help).

Miriam watched all of this unfold and popped out of the bushes and told Bithiah that she could get a nurse from the Hebrew women who would take care of the baby. Bithiah gave her permission to do so, and Miriam went home to Jochebed and told her to come get Moses. Jochebed was able to care for Moses until he became older. All three of these women were set apart, consecrated to fulfill a specific task that changed the trajectory of an entire nation.

Three lessons I have learned from these women: Faithfulness matters. Faithfulness, knowing your God, His power, and that He is invested in your life, matters. Especially when life is scary and hard and you don’t know what to do. Remain faithful to him. Psalm 9:9-10, “The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.” Remain faithful in the good, remain faithful in the bad, remain faithful in the easy, remain faithful in the hard. Remain faithful. The faith these women displayed was deep, unwavering, trust in the God who saves.

These women also displayed unconditional love. They allowed God to move in their hearts and lives and soften their hearts to be able to do what He asked them to do. They didn’t focus on their own wants or needs or their love for themselves; instead they focused on the needs of others, specifically a sweet baby boy and their love for him. They understood that love at times requires sacrifice. They understood that love is able to overcome impossible odds and that love unites. Colossians 3:14, “And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” 

Lastly, these women revealed a readiness to act. They were ready to act because they were grounded in their faith and in the Word. They were not content with being bystanders, they were not content being set aside, instead they were set apart, consecrated for a specific task, and they were ready to fulfill that task. They didn’t wait for someone else, they saw an opportunity to act and they took it. How did they know what the right thing to do was? I believe it is because they knew their God. Psalm 119:9-10a, “How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. With my whole heart I seek you.”

Read: Exodus 2:1-10 (If you would like to dig a little deeper, check out John 17:13-23)

Consider: Has there ever been a time when you felt set aside? How could you turn being set aside into being set apart? Has rejection ever led you to a different path that helped you clearly see the hand of God at work in your life?

Do: It’s time to take action! Are you ready to serve? Are you actively looking to do something for Jesus? If so, be ready, because He is able and willing to use you!

Pray: My Savior, My God, Thank You for remaining faithful, even when I stumble and fall. When I run away scared, mad, and disobey - You remain the Faithful One. Thank You for reaching down into that miry pit and drawing me out and setting my feet on the Rock. Thank You for not setting me aside, but instead, for setting me apart. Help me to remain faithful, to love unconditionally with no strings attached, and to be ready to act in Your Name, always for You. Help me be a stepping stone and not a stumbling block. Help me to speak Your Love in a way that honors and glorifies You. I love You. Amen.

Be Blessed!