Verse of the Day 2/2
Genesis 12:7 but the Lord appeared to Abram and promised, "I will give this land to your family forever." Abram then built an altar there for the Lord. Contemporary English Version (CEV)
Most of us will likely be heading off to church today to "worship". That is true, but worship is not something that is left to church attendance alone. Worship can take place just about anywhere, it is a matter of focusing our attention on God; revering Him; seeking Him; praising Him; and offering yourself to Him.
In today's verse we have the first instance of an alter being built to the Lord God. Abram had been called earlier and had obeyed God's call upon his life realizing that he had been "blessed" and that "he was to be a blessing". He built the alter and named the place "Bethel" because to Him it was the "house of God"; it is a place he met with God and would return to at times of his life as would Jacob and others after him.
Henry Blackaby writes, "It is in worship that God has purposed to reveal Himself, in ever increasing measure. Continually notice how God shapes the mind and heart of Abram as he worships. Worship is a deliberate, steady, focused time with God. Worship not only anticipates an encounter with God, but also a clear next word from God. Worship is totally God centered! God focused! Out of worship comes a clearer and more focused relationship of faith and obedience with God."
Our alter can be our regular meeting place with God. It could be on the back porch or our recliner where we start every day in His Word and in prayer, being totally God centered and God focused, worshiping Him in the quiet and beauty of His holiness.
God may be sending you on a spiritual journey, but the place that you meet Him, the altar that you set up may be as close as your back porch or living room recliner. The key is having that steady, focused and deliberate time with God.
Blackaby writes," worship has been my special time of meeting with God, when He continues to reveal His will in my life." May it be so with each of us.
-- In Christ, Mike Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace. NIV
Genesis 12:1-9 English Standard Version (ESV)
The Call of Abram
12 Now the Lord said[a] to Abram, "Go from your country[b] and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."[c]
4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. 5 And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people that they had acquired in Haran, and they set out to go to the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan, 6 Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak[d] of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. 7 Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, "To your offspring I will give this land." So he built there an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him. 8 From there he moved to the hill country on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. And there he built an altar to the Lord and called upon the name of the Lord. 9 And Abram journeyed on, still going toward the Negeb.
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