Leviticus 19

A life set apart

“Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy. ~ Leviticus 19:2

Have you ever wondered what it truly looks like to live differently in a world that normalizes compromise? Everywhere you turn, people are defining truth by what feels good instead of what God says is right. It can leave you questioning how to stand strong when everything around you seems to go in the opposite direction.

Leviticus 19 gives a simple answer. God calls His people to live set apart. This chapter is full of practical instructions that show what holiness looks like in day-to-day living. It is not about perfection. It is about choosing God’s ways over the world’s ways, one decision at a time. It is not “blind faith,” it is a response that grows from trusting His faithfulness and knowing that His way is the blessed way.

Here are three truths from Leviticus 19 that help you walk this out today:

1. Holiness starts in the heart

God begins by addressing the condition of the heart. He tells His people to love Him fully, honor others, and avoid anything that corrupts their inner life. Holiness is not just about avoiding wrong actions, it is about cultivating a heart that desires Him more than anything else.

When you feel tempted to entertain thoughts that drain your peace or stir up fear or comparison, stop and invite God into that moment. Ask Him to give you thoughts that build up your mind and bring you closer to His presence.

2. Holiness is seen in how you treat people

Throughout this chapter, God repeatedly points His people back to kindness, honesty, and compassion. He commands them to leave the edges of their fields for the poor, avoid gossip, refuse to hold grudges, and love their neighbors as themselves. In a world driven by self, God calls you to choose love above everything.

The next time someone irritates you or disappoints you, pause before responding. Choose a tone or a word that brings peace instead of tension. Even a small act of kindness can soften a hard moment and make room for God to work.

3. Holiness requires intentional obedience

Leviticus 19 shows that holiness is not accidental. It happens through simple choices made one step at a time. God’s instructions were clear because He wanted His people to thrive. Your obedience today positions you for His blessed life tomorrow.

Take one intentional step of obedience in an area where you have felt hesitant. It might be forgiving someone, giving generously, or saying yes to something God has placed on your heart. Each small step strengthens your walk with Him.

In full transparency, I did not live a holy life for many years. But take it from someone who has experienced both sides, God’s way is the better way. Living holy once felt overwhelming because I believed I had to get everything right. Over time the Holy Spirit has shown me that He is not asking for perfection. He was inviting me into closeness with Him. Each time I made a simple choice to honor Him, even when it feels inconvenient, His peace settles over my life. Now I can see more clearly who I was and what He desired for me. Those small moments of obedience have became powerful turning points in my journey as a child of the most High God.

Today I want to encourage you to choose holiness one decision at a time. You do not have to fear falling short. God’s grace meets you at every step. When you choose His ways over the world’s noise, you step into the peace, favor, and purpose He has prepared for you. Holiness is not a burden. It is the pathway to the abundant life your heart has been longing for.

Today’s scripture reading: Leviticus 19

1 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 

2 “Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.

3 ‘Every one of you shall revere his mother and his father, and keep My Sabbaths: I am the Lord your God.

4 ‘Do not turn to idols, nor make for yourselves molded gods: I am the Lord your God.

5 ‘And if you offer a sacrifice of a peace offering to the Lord, you shall offer it of your own free will. 

6 It shall be eaten the same day you offer it, and on the next day. And if any remains until the third day, it shall be burned in the fire. 

7 And if it is eaten at all on the third day, it is an abomination. It shall not be accepted. 

8 Therefore everyone who eats it shall bear his iniquity, because he has profaned the hallowed offering of the Lord; and that person shall be cut off from his people.

9 ‘When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest. 

10 And you shall not glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather every grape of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger: I am the Lord your God.

11 ‘You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another. 

12 And you shall not swear by My name falsely, nor shall you profane the name of your God: I am the Lord.

13 ‘You shall not cheat your neighbor, nor rob him. The wages of him who is hired shall not remain with you all night until morning. 

14 You shall not curse the deaf, nor put a stumbling block before the blind, but shall fear your God: I am the Lord.

15 ‘You shall do no injustice in judgment. You shall not be partial to the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty. In righteousness you shall judge your neighbor. 

16 You shall not go about as a talebearer among your people; nor shall you take a stand against the life of your neighbor: I am the Lord.

17 ‘You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him. 

18 You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.

19 ‘You shall keep My statutes. You shall not let your livestock breed with another kind. You shall not sow your field with mixed seed. Nor shall a garment of mixed linen and wool come upon you.

20 ‘Whoever lies carnally with a woman who is betrothed to a man as a concubine, and who has not at all been redeemed nor given her freedom, for this there shall be scourging; but they shall not be put to death, because she was not free. 

21 And he shall bring his trespass offering to the Lord, to the door of the tabernacle of meeting, a ram as a trespass offering. 

22 The priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering before the Lord for his sin which he has committed. And the sin which he has committed shall be forgiven him.

23 ‘When you come into the land, and have planted all kinds of trees for food, then you shall count their fruit as uncircumcised. Three years it shall be as uncircumcised to you. It shall not be eaten. 

24 But in the fourth year all its fruit shall be holy, a praise to the Lord. 

25 And in the fifth year you may eat its fruit, that it may yield to you its increase: I am the Lord your God.

26 ‘You shall not eat anything with the blood, nor shall you practice divination or soothsaying. 

27 You shall not shave around the sides of your head, nor shall you disfigure the edges of your beard. 

28 You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you: I am the Lord.

29 ‘Do not prostitute your daughter, to cause her to be a harlot, lest the land fall into harlotry, and the land become full of wickedness.

30 ‘You shall keep My Sabbaths and reverence My sanctuary: I am the Lord.

31 ‘Give no regard to mediums and familiar spirits; do not seek after them, to be defiled by them: I am the Lord your God.

32 ‘You shall rise before the gray headed and honor the presence of an old man, and fear your God: I am the Lord.

33 ‘And if a stranger dwells with you in your land, you shall not mistreat him. 

34 The stranger who dwells among you shall be to you as one born among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.

35 ‘You shall do no injustice in judgment, in measurement of length, weight, or volume. 

36 You shall have honest scales, honest weights, an honest ephah, and an honest hin: I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.

37 ‘Therefore you shall observe all My statutes and all My judgments, and perform them: I am the Lord.’ ”

Journal:

• What is one area of my heart where God is inviting me to choose holiness today?
• How can I show God’s love to someone who has been difficult for me to deal with lately?
• What is one step of obedience I can take this week that will draw me closer to God’s plan for my life?