Come to the Altar
This week we faced a quiet danger. Most of us didn't walk away from God. We just stopped feeling the weight of Him.
On Mount Carmel, before the fire fell, Elijah did something we often skip. He repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down. He set the stones back in place one by one. Then he laid the sacrifice on the wood.
The fire didn't fall on an empty altar. It fell on what was offered.
That's what today is about. If you want the fire back, you have to rebuild the altar and put something on it.
Name It
So where has your altar fallen down? Maybe prayer became a habit instead of a conversation. Maybe a sin stopped stinging because you got used to it. Maybe comfort slowly took the place of hunger.
Ask yourself honestly. When did I last feel broken over sin? What do I reach for when I should reach for God? What have I let numb me? What did I used to do with Jesus that I stopped doing?
Let the Holy Spirit put His finger on it. Then name it.
Lay It Down
Now pray this from your heart:
"Holy Spirit, I confess that my heart has grown cold. I've let the altar fall down, and I've filled my life with things that numb me. Today I lay them down. I lay down my comfort, my distractions, and the sin I stopped fighting. Break up the hard ground in me. I don't want to be lukewarm anymore. Send Your fire, Lord. In Jesus' name, amen."
Receive
Here's what God promises a heart that comes back to Him.
"A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh." (Ezekiel 36:26)
You can't make yourself feel again, but God can. He doesn't just patch up a hard heart. He gives you a new one.
You bring the wood. God brings the fire.
Rise and Walk
Tomorrow morning, put one stone back on the altar. Pick the one thing you used to do with Jesus and stopped doing, and do it again.
Bring someone with you. Today, send tomorrow's new series to one friend and say, "Let's walk through this together."
Coming Monday
Tomorrow we start a new FORMED series called Rough Edges. You can be right about the truth and still be wrong in how you carry it. Some of us have been sharp so long we call it conviction.
This week, God picks up the file. Not to make you dull, but to shape you into someone people can get close enough to meet Jesus.
Prayer
Lord, thank You for not giving up on my heart. Keep the fire burning, and help me keep bringing the wood every day. In Jesus' name, amen.
Reflection
- What has quietly numbed my heart toward God, and what stone will I put back on the altar this week?