Samuel, Samson, John the Baptist, and probably the apostle Paul all did it. Some were set aside from birth (the OT guys). The others likely did it for a defined period of time. What is it?
These men all took Nazirite vows. What does this mean? To put it simply, a Nazirite is one who takes overt measures in daily life to be separated unto the Lord, away from the details of life that have the potential to pull the Nazirite away from him. A Nazirite takes overt steps--some that are very visible (such as not cutting any hair from the neck up)--to make the holiness of God a focus of his/her life.
That is the commitment we, as a community, have made for these 40 days. Now, let me ask you a question: does the Nazirite vow make you or I any more holy?
It is easy to be tricked into thinking the answer is "yes." After all, life feels more holy during a time of such overwhelming intentionality to be with God and away from things that keep us from him. But that is only a feeling. Pay very careful attention to this: after the redeeming work of Jesus Christ, which is already complete in your life, a commitment like this is NOT a "work" that can make you ANY more holy than you were before. Why? Because through the blood of Jesus and your obedience of faith in his good news, you are already fully, completely, totally holy. Nothing you can do will make you more holy, more pleasing to God.
However, in the muck of a world that is still running from the knowledge of God, it is very tempting to "offer our members to sin as instruments of wickedness" rather than "to God as those who have been brought from death to life" (Rom. 6:13). Things like a Nazirite vow (as it is called in Numbers 6), or a fast, or times of devotion, study, or service, do not earn us one single brownie point with the Almighty God... because we already have the maximum! These practices are merely tools, identified as principles in Scripture, that help us connect with the reality Jesus has already created within us. That's it.
If you are taking a full Nazirite vow during these forty days, or if you have decided to focus on the Lord in a different way, let this truth sink into your mind, soul, spirit, and body: you are simply reminding yourself of who you REALLY are, and training yourself to live life to the fullest (John 10:10). This vow is a tool, meant for our benefit. It doesn't make God love you more (he loves you infinitely), it doesn't mean you'll receive more (you will receive Christ's reward), it doesn't mean he'll hear you any more clearly than before (he already heard you better than you can hear yourself). It does allow a method for YOU to clear away the gunk that limits YOUR experience of God. In it, I believe you will connect with the joy he has placed in you in a new, exciting way.
So, how has this tool benefited you in the last 10 (or so) days?
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