The altar of sacrifice

Grand Sweep Daily Reading: Genesis 34, 35, 36; Psalm 20

Genesis 35:2-3 (NIV)

So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods you have with you, and purify yourselves and change your clothes. 3 Then come, let us go up to Bethel, where I will build an altar to God, who answered me in my day of my distress and who has been with me wherever I have gone.

Psalm 20:1-3 (NIV)

1 May the Lord answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you. 2 May He send you help from the sanctuary and grant you support from Zion. 3 May He remember all your sacrifices and accept your burnt offerings.

Matthew 23:19 (NIV)

19 You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred?

Good morning!

Faith Church is a holy place of worship. My favorite time to visit the sanctuary is early in the morning, just before daybreak. I can watch the sun rise from the large glass windows near the pulpit. Streams of light pierce the stained glass window behind the cross of Christ, floating across the Shepherd’s staff and illuminating His golden altar. Kneeling before the Lord, I pour out my praise and thanksgiving to the One. He is holy and pure and righteous. I lay my life down upon His altar, allowing the Father to burn away my imperfections and sin. More than anything else, I want to become a pure vessel where He can live and reign and work within me. Sitting in His awesome presence today, I gaze upon the altar of sacrifice and welcome its flame into my heart. I am His precious child and His love is all I will ever need.

I am fascinated by the altar Jacob built to honor the Lord at Bethel, in the land of Canaan. The altar is a physical place of sacrifice; a holy ground for worship and prayer. God instructed Jacob to take his family, along with the Shechemite women and children, to Bethel in Canaan and live. There, Jacob built an altar to God. Thanking Him for his divine protection and guidance, Jacob was grateful to see and hear from the Lord God Almighty. There, God gave Jacob a new name - Israel, meaning “he struggles with God.” This name was a tribute to Jacob’s desire to follow the Lord, even through the difficult moments of his life. Jacob held onto the Lord’s Word amid the struggles of the unknown. He listened and obeyed the Father’s directive and became a willing part of His master plan. Jacob raised a pillar of stone, marking the place of the Lord’s appearance. He poured out a drink offering and anointed the pillar with the purest, most expensive olive oil he could buy. As promised, Bethel became a safe refuge and a holy place of worship for the descendants of Abraham.

When you kneel before the Lord at the golden altar of sacrifice, what are you willing to give Him? Will you hand Him your future? What about the pain and sorrow you carry from the difficult moments of the day? Will you lay down your life for His will? What gift will you bring to His altar today? Are you able to let the Father purify you, shaping and molding your heart into something He can use for His glory?

It is daybreak, and the Lord is waiting for you to come to His altar now.

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding

www.songofdeborah.com

Pray for: God’s golden altar to transform your life today. Lay it down now; give it all to Him. He will accept your sacrifice with love. God will create a place inside of you where He can live and reign forever. Will you go to the altar?

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© Copyright 2007, Deb Spaulding

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