When we are brokenhearted, we come to the altar, bringing our broken pieces to Him, and He lovingly mends our hearts through His perfect love for us. When we are battling addictions or depression or are just bound by chains of the enemy that we can’t seem to be free of, we come to the altar dragging those chains with us, and God by His power over all things breaks those chains that have us bound.
Coming to the altar is the first step. The next step is sometimes even harder, which is to turn and walk away, leaving whatever you brought to the altar behind. The temptation is to come to the altar and cry out before Him, and then pick up whatever we brought with us and turn and walk away. That’s not how God wants us to be. He wants us to leave our burdens and our cares and our chains there with Him and for us to trust that He will get rid of it. Consider this. If we pick it back up, He can’t fix it because we are still holding on to it.
Step one—come to the altar. Step two—leave it there.
I also want to remind you that the altar isn’t only a physical place at the front of the church (although you should seek prayer there from the elders). Jesus, through His birth, life, death, and resurrection, made it possible for us to come boldly before the throne of grace wherever we are.
The “altar” is anywhere we bring our hearts to Him in humble submission.
Your altar today may be in your car or at your desk at work or kneeling at the foot of your bed or sitting in your recliner. You can be at the altar of grace wherever you are. I’m so thankful for His sweet promise and His faithfulness to me in my time of need. So today, friends, I beg you to come to the altar and leave it all in His loving and capable hands.
Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28)
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