The Building Process

In may last blog I wrote about "life altaring" vs. "life altering" (and if you haven't already read it, you should... It's only four paragraphs so it won't take long but I think it may have a lasting effect!) In thinking about my last blog and how it should be written to make sure you all understand what I'm trying to convey I searched the word "altar" in the Bible... Of course "altar" appears a lot in the Bible and, to be honest, I didn't get very far into the results before thinking I needed to write the blog you're reading now.

Like most people, I think of the altar in a church building when I hear the word "altar..." I think about sacrifice on the altar. Taking hold of the horns of the altar in prayer. Falling on the altar in a time of desperation. But there's something I've often missed and maybe you have as well... As you've most likely known and as you've just read the altar has many purposes... But I think we frequently miss one key thing about an altar... Yes, we must sacrifice, pray and fall on an altar but have we forgotten to build altars?

See searching the word "altar" in the Bible, the first context it appears (and many after) is an altar being built... Someone has had a "life altering" moment, God has come through or provided a need or has made His presence known and the reaction of the people was to build an altar! They built altars to remember and not only for themselves but for the generations to come to be able to see those altars to bring those stories forward and to build faith! Building altars builds faith!

Altars are to be built in the good times, to celebrate and remember God's goodness and might!  Landmarks of how far you've come and reminders of those who have gone before you and to those to follow your steps in the future! Altars are evidence of God's loyal love toward us. Altars are also to be built as encouragement for the inevitable hard times ahead, so if you get lost but you just kept moving eventually you will stumble upon an altar and know If God came through for you once then He can come through now! Building altars builds faith!

I suppose it only makes sense, if you aren't building any altars in your life in the good times you won't have an altar to place your sacrifice on, you will have no horns of the altar to take hold of in prayer and if you fall there will be no altar to catch you... If you've built no altars what will be a testimony to future generations? Where will your encouragement come from when your friends can't lift your head? And if there be no altars built in the light how will you stumble on the landmark in the dark? Building altars builds faith!

I'd missed it in the past but I'm going to build some altars in the good times... I'll be building in the light because building altars builds faith. Will you?