An Altar to Alter Our Lives

UV 748/10,000 An Altar to Alter Lives Then Gideon built an altar there unto the LORD, and called it Jehovahshalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites. Judges 6 v 24 Gideon had a visitation of an angel and he built an altar at that place and called it Jehovahshalom. Abraham built an altar and called it JehovahJireh. Moses built an altar and called it Jehovahnissi. Each of them had an experience of a different dimension of the power of God and they glorified Him by consecrating a place as an altar to God. Shalom implies peace, wholeness, prosperity, health and joy. Jireh implies providence of God. Nissi implies victory. Gideon’s life began to alter after his act of consecration and worship. Here was a man who before his encounter with the angel of the Lord, hid his wheat afraid that the marauding Midianites would take it by force from him. His self-esteem was low. He thought of himself as belonging to a poor and weak family of the tribe of Manasseh. He thought of himself as the least in his father’s family. He feared his powerful enemies and did not trust the power of God to redeem Israel. Yet the encounter with the angel of the Lord began to alter Gideon’s belief in God and in himself. The resulting growing belief in God and in himself altered his destiny and the destiny of the nation of Israel. From having a fugitive mentality of trying to escape dangers, he became a leader of Israel who took on risks. The nation of Israel from being a defeated nation living in subjection became a nation that challenged the might of her neighbours. The angel of the Lord called Gideon “ a mighty man of valour.” The Lord did not see his past or his present but saw his potential as a leader. Other people and we too see ourselves on the basis of our past and present failures and weaknesses but the Lord sees us from the point of view of our potential. We need to ask the Lord, “ What do you see me as?” There were undoubtedly gaps in Gideon’s spiritual armour and in his leadership profile but Jehovahshalom, the one who completes all things filled the gap with His grace. He is the One who calls, sends, anoints, equips, leads, guides, empowers, endows and enables us to fulfil our destiny. He took the fears and inadequacies of Gideon and turned it into faith and sufficiency. We need to set up an altar to JehovahShalom, JehovahJireh and JehovahNissi in our hearts and minds and lives. We need to offer up a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving with our hearts full of awe and gratitude at what the Lord has done and what He is going to do. We need to continually worship at this mental, emotional and spiritual altar of our lives. This one act would alter our weaknesses into strengths, our despondency and depression into joy and jubilation, our fears into valour, our doubts into faith, our failures into successes and our inadequacy into sufficiency. We will be clothed with the might, valour and power of JehovahShalom. Prateep V Philip