Set apart to be godly

UV 376/10,000 Set apart to be godly Psa 4:3 But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the LORD will hear when I call unto him. God wants man to be God-like but man wants to be like God. God wants man to be God-like in his character and motivation. But man wants to be like God in terms of His position and power. This is the essence of the struggle of man with God. The very word,” Israel” means struggle with God. The Lord says, “ Cease from your struggles. Rest in my arms. I have set you apart for my self.” The words, ‘set apart’ means that we are dedicated as special purpose vessels to carry the Lord’s message to the world. We are set apart as a special people to praise the works of the Lord. Set apart also implies that we are distinguished in the eyes of God and that we are His workmanship to exhibit His attributes and glory. The word, ‘know’ is used in this uni-verse to show that we need to move from just belief to knowledge level. As we are set apart for God, we are a holy people unto the Lord. Our belief in His Word and the Holy Spirit sanctifies us. It is said that God does not call qualified people rather He qualifies the called through the process of sanctification. We are set apart as a royal priesthood, children of the Most High God, a peculiar people, a holy nation, a chosen generation. We are called to be just and good in our generation, fearing the Lord for His awesome power and impartial judgement, loving Him in return for His great and sacrificial love. He sets us apart and establishes us to fulfill His purpose and plan for us individually and for the cosmos as a whole. When do we call unto Him? We do not wait till we are in distress to call unto the Lord. The godly are in constant communion with the Lord. We commune in our heart with Him. Our emotions and thoughts are intermingled with His. He sustains us by means of His grace in times of troubles and temptations. Many people resort to prayer only when they are neck deep in trouble or debt or ill health. They treat the Lord as the police are looked upon in many nations: a last resort in times of trouble. But, the godly cry unto the Lord morning and noon and evening. David praised the Lord seven times a day. Daniel prayed thrice a day. David was a king-hence, he spent more time with the Lord than Daniel the administrator. The more busy we are or the greater our responsibility, the more time we should spend at the feet of the Lord. We need to avail of His consistent wisdom, His sustaining grace and His prevailing power. He promises to hear us when we call unto Him. He does not just passively hear us and forget our pleas. He will even mount on the clouds and descend to us in our hour of need. He will alter or transcend the laws of the universe or change the course of history to intervene effectively on our behalf. Prateep V Philip