Clint Nobles in his article Building Altars reminds us that throughout the book of Genesis we see men building altars to God. Perhaps the most familiar example could be found in Genesis 22 when the Lord instructs Abraham to go up to the mountain and erect an altar to sacrifice his only son of promise. Just in the nick of time God provided a substitute ram and the son was spared. I wonder how many times Abraham must have paraded his family members back to that spot where God provided for the sacrifice. That simple altar stood as a reminder of God’s grace and love for countless generations.
Who could forget the miracle of the parting of the great Jordan River? After the crossing, Joshua instructed the children to collect 12 stones from the riverbed and assemble an altar to remind the generations to come of the great miracle God had performed on their behalf. We see many examples throughout the Old Testament of altar construction. A simple collection of stones served as keepsakes for reminding the people of the many ways Jehovah God had acted on their behalf. In Joel 1:3 parents are instructed to share such stories and pass them along to the coming generations.
The other day, I realized that I have been walking with God now for well over forty years. God has done some incredible things in my life. Many of those miracles and events still stand out in my mind but many have been forgotten. When these marvelous things were happening my emotions and gratitude were high, but over time the memories became crowded out by other less significant information.
Today with our modern day Information Super Highway, (the Internet,) I wonder if God might not be calling us to take advantage of this new medium to assemble contemporary altars to share with others. With so many of our friends and family members are scattered throughout the country and in many cases the world, could we not use this powerful resource to declare the wonderful works of God? Whether it be through a short email, creating a blog/website, or simply forwarding an encouraging poem or message to a friend, we are fulfilling Joel 3:1 and passing our faith along.
This week as Thanksgiving day approaches I challenge each of you to examine the altars you have built within your head. Sort out the symbolic stones rolling around inside your head of the great and miraculous things God has done in your life. Don’t die one day with these thoughts and words of praise buried inside your brain. Record your thoughts and pass the ALTAR along. Have a great Thanksgiving!
