Altars

“Isaac built an altar there and called on the name of the Lord. There he pitched his tent and there his servants dug a well. Genesis 26:25

Mentioned over 400 times in the Bible, altars were places where people sacrificed to God and made covenants.

The first mention of an altar in the Bible is found in Genesis. When Noah and his family safely disembarked from the ark, he built an altar of thanksgiving and sacrifice.

Abraham also built altars. Following his journey across the barren wastelands of Arabia, he came into Canaan. Moses recorded, “The Lord appeared to Abraham and said, ‘To your offspring I will give this land.’ So he built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him” (Genesis 12:7).

There are still those today who build altars. Greg Fisher tells about building an altar at the Namirimbe Guest House in Uganda where he was serving as a missionary. When his wife’s chest cold wouldn’t go away, and a high fever set in, he feared that she was sinking into pneumonia. With every hour the situation worsened. “She was getting weaker, and her breathing was labored,” he said. “For the entire night I called out to God on her behalf. I realized this was an attack of the Dominion of Darkness to keep us from establishing a ministry here in Kampala. Margaret’s bedside became an altar to the Living God.”

An altar is where you meet God. It can be a rock you kneel beside in the woods, in a quiet spot in your home or beside your desk at the office. The where isn’t important. Doing it is the vital thing. You can make an altar anywhere as you lay your life open to Him and meet Him.

And Mary said,  “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me - holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.  He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. ”

Luke 1:46-52