“Abram traveled through the land as far as Shechem. There he set up camp beside the oak of Moreh…Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your descendants.” And Abram built an altar there and dedicated it to the Lord, who had appeared to him.” (Gen 12:6, 7)
The Power of Altars
We were finally in Perth, Australia! As I looked out of the window of our moving vehicle, everywhere was so quiet and beautiful. It was a strange sight for us coming from the buzzing end of the world, as I do not recall seeing anyone on the streets.
The excitement, though, was short-lived because a few days later, we began to experience increasing amounts of pressure from without. There was a deep concern from some of our leaders and colleagues that this family of four from Africa would not be able to meet up with the monthly bills. Motivated by the pressure, my husband hurried to the base desk computer every day to connect with friends and coworkers worldwide and asked them to pray for us. This continued until he received an email from one of our leaders back home saying, "Patrick, you need to relax and trust the One who took you to Perth." It was a brief but clear reminder of who our source is and where our focus should be. We redirected our focus once more to the One who had made a way where there seemed to be no way. Instead of calling out to the world again, we met regularly at our family altar and at our personal altars to worship and to receive wisdom, strength and guidance for each day. Not only did we find peace and clarity again, our needs and bills came in every month. By the time we were leaving Perth for India, we had money for plane tickets and rent for a very suitable accommodation.
First, Build Your Altars
When Abraham arrived in Canaan, he traveled through the entire region, all the way to Shechem. The Canaanites were still in the land at this time. The Lord appeared to him and promised to give the land to his offspring. In response, Abraham built an altar to honor the Lord. He then moved on and pitched his tent between Bethel and AI. He again built an altar to the Lord. This time he worshipped the Lord with thanksgiving, praise, and prayer. Altars are places where the divine and human worlds interact. Altars are places of exchange, communication, and influence. In setting up these altars, Abraham was doing two things: 1) Honoring his connection with the One who had called him and safely led him and his family from Haran to Canaan. 2) He was making a public declaration that he was a worshipper of God. This was a daring move in a land where people lived according to their own moral standards during a period when idol worship was the norm. But it was a step that would remove any confusion from the minds of his new neighbors as to who he was and who he worshipped. It was also a step that would keep Abraham himself mindful of how he was to conduct himself in this new land.
No matter the pressure or ease,
the flames of worship -
praise, prayer, thanksgiving,
and the reading of God's word
must never be allowed to quench in your home.
The Consequences of Neglecting Your Altars
The demands of life can sometimes become very overwhelming. The weight becomes even heavier when we neglect or refuse to prioritize our altars. We find that:
-
We lose sight of what really matters: who we are and of the One who called us.
- Instead of listening directions from the Lord, we find ourselves listening and responding to the urgent voices, needs, and opportunities around us.
- We start relying on the other potential gods we carry around with us: the wealth, the achievements, the credentials, the degrees, contacts, etc. instead of drawing strength and wisdom from our relationship with the Lord.
-
Fellowship with the Lord is kept on the back burner until until things start to go wrong.
- We find ourselves anxious, confused and frustrated.
The Importance of Your Altars
The children of Israel were commanded to keep the lamp in the tabernacle burning continually (Exo 27:20). This tabernacle also had two altars: the altar of burnt offering, located in the outer court, and the altar of incense, which was made of acacia wood and overlaid with gold, located in the inner court. The golden lampstand was placed on the south side in the holy place, opposite the table of showbread. The lampstand served as the only source of light. Like this lamp stand, you and your family are the lampstands burning in the Lord's presence. Wherever He places you, you are the source of true light and hope for those languishing in the darkness of sin and confusion. Thus, regular fellowship with the Lord must remain your "go-to" place to keep the fire burning. Every decision and choice must come from this fellowship and communion with the Lord. Your connection with the Lord must be obvious and impactful to members of your household and to the larger community.
Your Altar Keeps You connected
Your personal altar and family altar will keep you connected to God and to one another in the home. Maintaining these altars as top priorities is one of the best decisions you can make in this regard. No matter the pressure or ease, the flames of worship - praise, prayer, thanksgiving, and the reading of God's word must never be snuffed out of your home. You will find here the peace, wisdom, power, and guidance you need to make your way through the demands of daily life.
Succumbing to the pressures around you becomes more difficult as you yield to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. With your altars, you can confidently and victoriously go about the business of living the 'blessed to be blessed' life!
What effects are your personal and family altars having on your life, your family, and your assignment?
Prayer: Lord, help me to stay connected to you; may my eyes and heart remain on you, the One who loved me and called me into your eternal purpose in Jesus name. Amen
Summary
- Altars are powerful
- Build your altars first
- There are consequences to neglecting your altars
- Your altars are important
- Your altars keep you connected
You will like my next post
"At that time a severe famine struck the land of Canaan, forcing Abram to go down to Egypt, where he lived as a foreigner" (Gen 12:10).
Get Ijeoma's Post in your Inbox!
Categories-
Category-