"Lift up your eyes from where you are and look north and south, east and west. All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever. I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted. Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you."Genesis 13: 14-17
God's promises just keep coming. Abram allowed Lot to have his pick of the land. We all know Lot because of his narrow escape from destruction that we have yet to read. He chose to live dangerously close to Sodom and Gomorrah. We see in verse 13 that "The men of sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the Lord."
He was playing with fire.
What a contrast between Lot and Abram; one chose greedily, and the other chose to trust God and waited for God to reveal his plan to him. Abram was blessed because of his patience and trust that God would follow through on his promises. Not only that, but God added to his former promises.
In chapter 12, after God's first set of promises, Abram built an altar. Here in chapter 13, he built another one after God's second set of promises. Noah also built an altar in chapter 8, but it is before God's promises to him.
Altars have a significant meaning throughout the Old Testament.
Altars were a reminder. Not only for those who built it, but for any who encountered it. All who saw the altar were reminded of God's faithfulness and goodness. Building altars were a response to God's faithfulness (living through the flood in the ark and God's promises to Abram, and as we read on through the Old Testament- we will see more examples)
This was an act of worship.
We have an altar in our church, and it is just a piece of furniture. We treat it as just a piece of furniture. The worship teams puts water bottles on it, there's a big old school bible with yellowed pages nicely placed upon it. It's never read. During Christmas time, the advent candles are lit upon the altar. It sits in front of the cross. Sometimes, people even step on it to adjust the cloth on the cross.
What a wasted opportunity to be reminded of God's promises, his faithfulness to his children, and His greatness!
When I thought of this piece of furniture sitting in my church, I began to reflect on my life. What are the altars in my life? Have I even made an effort to have altars? What responses have I made in worship and thankfulness for God's faithful love and mercy to me?
If I have made an effort to make an altar, it eventually becomes like the altar in my church. It just sits there meaninglessly, and I put God's faithful acts on that altar and distractedly step on them as I reach for the meaningless things I strive for.
It's way too easy to forget God.
How quickly we forget.
What faithful acts and gifts of love and mercy from God have you forgotten? Choose to be reminded of His eternal love and faithfulness today.
No comments:
Post a Comment