Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your offspring.” So he built an altar there to the Lord who had appeared to him. Genesis 12:7 HCSB
We commonly call the front center of our worship center an altar. Often, people will come to the front and pray at the “altar”. We ordain men to become deacons and ministers of the Gospel at the altar. Men and women make commitments to be faithful to each other in marriage at the altar. Parents bring their children and commit to raise them in the ways of the Lord at the altar. It is at the altar where the elements of the Lord’s Supper are served to believers as they remember what Christ has done for them on the cross. Our altar today is not like the one built by Abram, but it serves the same purpose.
Along the way Abram built altars to God and worshiped Him. Altars were used in many parts of the world and in many different religions, but for God’s people, the altar was more than a place of worship and sacrifice: it was a place to encounter God and have communion with Him. Built of stones, these altars often remained for years and were a constant reminder of God’s protection and faithfulness to keep His promises.
Challenge: You can have an altar in your home where you regularly go and encounter God through prayer and reading His Word. We all need to regularly renew our love and loyalty to God at the altar. The altar is a reminder that God is at the center of our lives. Regular worship helps us remember how good God is and motivates us to obey Him.