“There I will go to the altar of God, to God—the source of all my joy. I will praise you with my harp, O God, my God!” ( Psalm 43: 4).
Cattle keepers are different from agriculturalists. They live unsettled lives migrating to and fro where ever pasture happens. This lifestyle of theirs is also common these days to people who move through various cities and nations depending on where the next job is. And, in moving, of course people take what is dearest to them.
As a cattle keeper Abraham led a migratory life. Now wherever he moved it was clear there was something uppermost on his mind. When the Lord appeared to him at Sechem, and gave the land to him “So he built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him” ( Gen 12:7). And when he later moved up the land, “There he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord” ( vv 8).
This habit of his continued on as later when he split with his nephew Lot, “So Abram went to live near the great trees of Mamre at Hebron, where he pitched his tents. There he built an altar to the Lord” ( Gen 13: 18). When he obeyed God to offer up his only son Isaac for a sacrifice, “Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood” ( Gen 22:9).
Altars we can say were very much part of Abraham’s life. They served for him a place to worship God, praise and also intercede for favor. While we can say we live in a dispensation where we know, “God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth” ( John 4:24), this does not hinder us from identifying and having altars to serve as a point of reference in our walk with God, just as Abraham did!
Prayer today: Lord Father God of Abraham, maker of heaven and earth, today I come to your altar of praise and thanksgiving, as I pray for your favour upon me and the work of my hands, this I pray in Jesus’s name!
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18/05/2024 - 19/05/2024 All day“Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.” (Colossians 2:15)
Perhaps one of the most inspiring passages in the Bible with enduring lessons is where Moses pleads to Pharaoh to let the Jews go. Instead Pharaoh dared Moses if he had the power as that of a king. Challenged to “perform a miracle” Moses turned to Aaron who threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a snake. Pharaoh then summoned wise men and sorcerers, and the Egyptian magicians also did the same things by their secret arts: Each one threw down his staff and it became a snake. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs (Exodus 7: 9-12).
What we see here is the presence of occult powers in high places, as is true even today. A common mistake by some is to deny the existence of the occult behind certain thrones or power centers, especially in instances where we find those putting on a genteel manner of social respectability. There are also those who through their education and confined exposure to the spirit realm of things, doubt the existence of occult powers. The reality is that in the world we live in the enemy is much at work. 1 Peter 5:8 says, “Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”
In this passage we see that while Pharaoh did release his snakes the staff God had placed in the hands of his messenger, Moses, was far greater and swallowed all. Here is the point. As believers we do have a far greater and mighty power to protect us from any attacks of the enemy. It is the blood of the lamb. As it is written, “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony...” (Revelation 12:11).
Today whatever snakes you may encounter from anywhere be assured that you have a far greater power than of the enemy. It is the blood of Jesus. As His word says, “call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor Me” (Psalm 50:15).
Prayer for today: Lord Father God of Abraham, maker of heaven and earth, today I pray for protection from the attacks of the enemy by the blood of the lamb, this I pray in Jesus’name.
