Get In-Line

“Your name will no longer be Jacob,” the man told him, “From now on you will be called Israel, because you have fought with God and with men and have won.” Gen.32:28

A wise man said, “You cannot change your destination overnight but you can change your direction overnight”. Some of us reading this today have been going in the wrong direction. For some it is bad habits that have sent them down a wrong path. So you go to God at His meeting place, the altar, and pray; and guess what? You are actually realigned but you wake up the next day and it seems you are still where you used to be. So naturally, you start doubting the realignment. Don’t doubt; what has changed is your direction. Just keep going and your destination will soon change. For instance, a skinny fellow decides he wants to build muscle. Before this decision, all he was did was sleep, eat poorly, and didn’t exercise. But he has made up his mind to build his muscles. So he registers at a gym and starts to exercise and lift weights. Right direction! Additionally, he changes his diet. Right direction! One day at the gym he lifts so many weights that he almost breaks his back. And when he wakes up the following day, he rushes to the mirror to check his biceps and his chest but all he sees are bones. So he starts to doubt the right direction? Do not doubt; it is the right direction but you are not yet at the destination. I hope this encourages someone reading this today. Do not give up, just keep on moving. It appears that the muscles are not out yet but keep working the gym. It appears that all we can see are your ribs, your six-pack is coming soon. Right now all you may see in the mirror is your bones but soon your muscles will be bulging. The power of the altar is, it realigns you and keeps you realigned. Anyone who is not aligned is in the danger of destroying his or her life. Some are aligned but they are not even moving. It is not enough to be aligned, you have to move! Most Christians are not in the danger of destroying their lives rather they are in the danger of wasting their lives. Such people know Jesus, they are good, and don’t have any destructive habits but they are not moving. I repeat, it is not enough to be aligned, you have to move.

The altar is a place of Memorial. In Joshua 4:6-8 [please read], God was saying to Joshua, tell the twelve tribes to bring a stone each and set up a memorial. Why? Firstly, so that they will always remember what God has done for them and secondly, so that it will also be a pointer to what they should never remember, such as the punishment and the slavery of Egypt.

Prayer: Father, I pray in Jesus Name, that as I stand before the altar of the Living God, everything in my life will fall into alignment with You, in Jesus Name.