Yesterday I talked about how Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were most likely castrated when they were taken captive to serve the king of Babylon. We can find in history and in the Bible several examples of eunuchs whom served royalty. Those who will be placed in the palace, a place of the highest authority cannot live as common people do. Those who serve kings must have their minds focused on matters of the king. They cannot be consumed with thoughts about their own lives: career, family, money, etc. There is a kingdom at stake, and whom the king allows close to him affects all the people under his rule.

It is a wonderful awesome privilege to be close to a king. It's an honor to live in a palace. The beauty and the splendor and the luxury are beyond comparison. And servants of the king have their needs met by the king. The king provides food, clothing, and anything the servant might need to serve effectively. In the same way it's an honor to serve God, the King of all kings, whose glory exceeds any palace, and who provides for every need; but the closer you get to HIM the more you have to give up. I love being God's anointed messenger. I love when He speaks to me and gives me messages to bless His people, but trust me it has cost me a lot. I know there are things that I simply cannot allow in my life if I'm going to carry an effective anointing.

God's Beloved, God expects all of us that belong to Him to be consecrated. COME OUT FROM THE WORLD He says [2 Cor 6:17]. But God is not like a wicked worldly king, who forces people into service, stripping them of that which would allow temptation or distraction. God is love, and He allows us to choose how much we are willing to give up, and therefore how close we get to Him. One cannot hear God's voice clearly if he is listening to the world. One cannot be an effective witness for God if he is acting like the devil. If we could truly comprehend God's love and His character, we'd realize the things God asks us to give up are only those which are not good for us [Col 3]. God is not trying to keep any good thing from us. [Psalm 84:11]. I pray that you will choose to let go of all that keeps you from growing in your relationship with the Lord. God wants to take us to another level, but we can't take all the baggage from the last level with us.