Soul Devotional - December 4, 2014

I heard an interesting quote this week from Pete Wilson, who is a pastor at Cross Point Church in Nashville.  He said “If we don’t find ways to remember what God did in the past, we will have a hard time trusting Him with our future.”  As this has been going through my mind, I realized how true it is. 

In the Old Testament, when God had rescued His people or demonstrated His power for His people, the Israelites took the time and built an altar to God. This was a physical reminder to the Israelites that there had been a promise made and kept, that God’s hand had moved to keep that promise to His people.  I find that it is easy to only see the challenged that are in front of me, without remembering that God has already taken up the challenges that I am walking through.  It is easy to remember the defeats instead of all of the times that God was faithful.  It is easy to get upset about how God has not moved, instead of being in awe of all of the times that He has moved in powerful ways.  However, I also see how important it is to be able to have the tangible reminder of altar that is dedicated to remembering the works of God and all that He has done.  The way I look at it, since my memory is bad, having a physical reminder stirs the memory to remembrance.  How many times do I need to be reminded of all of the amazing things that God has done for me, especially during through difficult and dark times that I walk through.

I would encourage us to build or have a place where we can remember God’s faithfulness in the past; whether it is a particular song, a book, a special place where you have encountered God.  These are the things that help us remember when the times get dark and hard, that God will guide and help us through.  These are not altars that are to be worshipped at, but used as a reminder of the faithfulness of the God that we serve.

Here are a few scriptures that talk about building altars to God:

Then Noah built an altar to the Lord, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. Genesis 8:20  New Revised Standard Version

 So Abram moved his tent, and came and settled by the oaks[a] of Mamre, which are at Hebron; and there he built an altar to the Lord. Genesis 13:18 New Revised Standard Version

And Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord. He rose early in the morning, and built an altar at the foot of the mountain, and set up twelve pillars, corresponding to the twelve tribes of Israel Exodus 24:4 New Revised Standard Version

Shawna Lavender | Soul Sanctuary
shawna@soulsanctuary.ca