When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God for the good l
and he has given you. Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. He led you through the vast and dreadful desert, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock. He gave you manna to eat in the desert, something your fathers had never known, to humble and to test you so that in the end it might go well with you. You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today.
I love this Scripture from Deuteronomy. The progression is prophesy-like in my life, and indeed for the children of Israel. It goes like this: “Praise the Lord” so that you “do not forget the Lord.” And when things are going so well, “you will forget the Lord.” But “remember the Lord” for it is by His goodness and grace that you are even here…
I’m learning the importance of altar building. I learned this from Abraham, of course. He received a promise from God, and immediately built an altar to commemorate the occasion (Gen 12:7). He visited this altar later – to remember the Lord, no doubt. To consider His promises. To renew his passion.
No, you won’t find stone tables in my backyard, but Hebrews says that we have an altar – it is not necessarily a physical thing – but a spiritual place where we (I) can go to remember the Lord – consider His promises – renew my passion. It’s a place where commitment, repentance, self-dying, and worship run deep. It’s a place where I go after I remember the Lord – when I’ve let myself believe “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.”
How about you? Ever built an altar?
who said that?