The Lord appeared to Abram 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 NIV

“So, Abram built there an altar to the Lord.” We think of an altar as a symbol of worship, which it is, but that is not the essence of its meaning. The altar had at least seven purposes for Abram: To offer sacrifices to the Lord, asking forgiveness for unbelief and sins. To make a rededication to the Lord, renewing his commitment to the Lord. To seek the Lord’s continued presence and guidance. To worship the Lord: to worship the very Person who had met his need. To acknowledge the Lord, that the Lord alone could fulfil so great a promise, that he was totally dependent upon the Lord. To praise the Lord, to praise Him for giving so wonderful a promise. To testify to the Lord, to bear witness to the Lord’s glorious goodness in meeting his need and in giving so great a promise. The same is true for us as followers of Jesus. An altar for us is a place of renewal, repentance and refocussing, which provides the basis for worship. The reason for a daily altar is the urgent need for cleansing in our lives. So many Christians seem to feel they need the cross only at the beginning of their Christian life, but we need it every day, for it is the Word of the Cross which is the power of God in our daily lives. The life of the Holy Spirit’s fullness is repentant lifestyle, leading to refreshing and a refocussed life.

PRAYER THOUGHT

Holy Spirit, thank You for leading me in daily repentance and renewal.

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Thank You Holy Spirit for leading us in a life of daily repentance, renewal and the refocussing of our hearts upon Jesus, at our personal altars. AMEN

INTERNATIONAL BIBLE READING ASSOCIATION (IBRA)

Isaiah 4:2-6

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