ALTARS

Week 2 Devotional

DAY 1 — SURELY GOD WAS THERE

Scripture: Genesis 28:16–17

“Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it.”

Jacob was running. He had messed things up with his family; his brother wanted to kill him, and now he’s sleeping in the wilderness with a stone for a pillow. This isn’t exactly the setting you would expect for a powerful encounter with God, but that’s exactly where God meets him. Jacob has a dream: heaven opens, and God speaks. When Jacob wakes up, he realizes something he hadn’t understood before: God was there.

I think sometimes we assume that God is only present in the moments that feel spiritual. We recognize Him when worship is powerful, when prayer is answered, or when everything falls into place. But Jacob’s story reminds us that God is just as present in the wilderness as He is in the sanctuary. Maybe you’ve had a season like that. You didn’t understand what God was doing. You were disappointed, afraid, or simply trying to figure out what was next. Maybe at the time, all you could see was the wilderness. But what if you looked back now and asked a different question? Not just, “What happened to me?” but “Where was God?” Because He was there.

Jacob called that place Bethel, the House of God. It became a memorial to the moment when he discovered that God had been with him even when he didn’t realize it. Maybe you need a Bethel in your life. Maybe you need to remember that the place you thought was just a wilderness became a place where God revealed Himself to you. You may not have recognized God in the moment, but that doesn’t mean He wasn’t there.

Reflect
Think about a difficult season in your life. Looking back, where can you see God’s presence? Have you ever experienced God’s presence in a place or season you never expected?

Pray
God, open my eyes to see where You have been in my story. Help me remember that You were present even in the seasons I didn’t understand. When I look back, don’t let me only see the pain. Help me see You. Thank You for meeting me where I was. Amen.

Live It
Write down one difficult season from your past and beside it write, “Surely God was there.” Then write down one way you now see His presence in that season.

DAY 2 — DON’T FORGET THE GOD OF BETHEL

Scripture: Genesis 35:6–7

“There he built an altar, and he called the place El-Bethel.”

Jacob eventually returns to Bethel, but something has changed. The first time he was there, he named the place Bethel; House of God. When he comes back, he builds an altar and calls it El-Bethel; God of Bethel. The emphasis is no longer simply on the place. It’s on the God who met him there.

And I think that’s an important lesson for us because we can sometimes become attached to the places where we experienced God. Maybe it was a particular church, a worship night, a camp, a conference, a mission trip, or a specific season of your life. You remember that place and think, “That’s where God met me.” And that’s beautiful. We should remember those moments. But don’t miss this: the power was never in the place. The power was in the Person.

Jesus takes this even further in John 1:51 when He speaks to Nathanael about heaven being opened and angels ascending and descending on the Son of Man. Jesus is connecting Himself to Jacob’s experience. The place where heaven and earth meet is ultimately not a location. It’s Jesus. Jesus is our Bethel. God didn’t just give us a place where we could encounter Him. God came to us.

That’s why we don’t have to chase a particular place to find God’s presence or try to recreate yesterday’s encounter. We have Jesus. And maybe that’s what God wants to remind you of today. Don’t spend so much time trying to get back to where you met God that you forget to walk with the God who met you.

Reflect
What is a place or season where you experienced God in a significant way? Have you ever found yourself wanting to recreate an old spiritual experience instead of pursuing God in the present?

Pray
Jesus, thank You for every place where You have met me, but help me never confuse the place with You. I don’t want to live in yesterday’s encounter. I want to know You today. You are my Bethel. You are where heaven and earth meet. Amen.

Live It
Instead of asking God today to give you another experience like one you’ve had in the past, simply ask Him, “Jesus, help me recognize Your presence today.”

DAY 3 — YHWH-NISSI: REMEMBER WHO FOUGHT FOR YOU

Scripture: Exodus 17:14–15

“Moses built an altar and called it, ‘The LORD Is My Banner.’”

Israel had just won a battle against Amalek, but Moses understood something that Israel needed to remember. Joshua fought, the army fought, Moses prayed, and Aaron and Hur held up Moses’ hands when he became tired. There was work to be done, but Moses knew that the victory ultimately belonged to God.

So he built an altar and called it YHWH-Nissi — The LORD Is My Banner. A banner was something people could see and rally around. Moses was declaring that Israel’s confidence wasn’t ultimately in their army, their strategy, or their own strength. Their banner was the LORD.

That’s important because we are really good at rewriting our own history. God brings us through something, and eventually we start telling the story as if we did it all ourselves. “I worked hard.” “I figured it out.” “I was strong enough.” “I made it happen.” Maybe you did work hard. Maybe you did make wise decisions. Maybe you did fight. But who gave you the strength? Who gave you the opportunity? Who sustained you when you were running out of strength? Remember who fought for you.

Some victories in your life need an altar. Not an altar celebrating how strong you were, but an altar declaring, “The LORD brought me through.” That’s YHWH-Nissi.

Reflect
What is one battle God has brought you through? Where are you tempted to take credit for something God ultimately made possible?

Pray
Lord, thank You for every battle You have brought me through. Thank You for the strength You gave me when I didn’t have enough of my own. Keep me humble enough to recognize Your hand in my story. You are my banner. You are my victory. Amen.

Live It
Write down three things you are thankful God has brought you through. Then thank Him specifically for each one and declare, “YHWH-Nissi. The LORD is my banner.”

DAY 4 — YHWH-SHALOM: PEACE IN THE MIDDLE OF IT

Scripture: Judges 6:23–24

“Peace! Do not be afraid.”

Gideon was afraid. Israel was being oppressed by Midian. Their crops were being destroyed, their resources were disappearing, and the nation was living in fear. Gideon himself was hiding while threshing wheat, and that’s where God meets him. God doesn’t wait until Gideon becomes courageous. He meets him while he’s afraid, and then God says something simple: “Peace. Do not be afraid.”

Gideon responds by building an altar and naming it YHWH-Shalom; The LORD Is Peace. But here’s what gets me about this story: the battle wasn’t over yet. The Midianites were still there. The circumstances hadn’t changed. Gideon hadn’t won the victory yet. But God had met him, and sometimes that’s where peace begins.

We want God to change the situation, and sometimes He does. But sometimes before God changes what’s happening around us, He changes what’s happening inside of us. Jesus said in John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.” Not the world’s peace. His peace. Maybe you’ve experienced that. You were terrified. You didn’t know what was going to happen. You had every reason to fall apart, but somehow you didn’t. Somehow you knew, “I’m going to make it. God’s got me.” The circumstances didn’t immediately change, but something changed in you. That’s YHWH-Shalom. The LORD meets us in the middle of the battle and gives us His peace before the battle is even over.

Reflect
Where are you currently waiting for circumstances to change before you allow yourself to have peace? When have you experienced God’s peace even though your situation hadn’t changed?

Pray
Lord, I give You the things I cannot control. I give You the battles I cannot fight on my own. Teach me to trust Your presence even when I don’t know the outcome. Give me Your peace—not the peace the world offers, but the peace that comes from knowing You are with me. YHWH-Shalom, You are my peace. Amen.

Live It
Whenever anxiety or fear rises today, pause and pray, “YHWH-Shalom. The LORD is my peace.” Remind yourself that God is with you, and you don’t have to be afraid.

DAY 5 — REMEMBER THE GOD WHO WAS THERE

Scripture: Psalm 77:11–12

“I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.”

This week we’ve looked at three altars. Jacob’s altar at Bethel reminded him that God was with him. Moses’ altar of YHWH-Nissi reminded Israel that God fought for them. Gideon’s altar of YHWH-Shalom reminded him that God was his peace. Three altars, three moments, one God.

And maybe that’s what an altar is really supposed to do in our lives. It’s supposed to help us remember. Because if we’re not intentional about remembering what God has done, we will naturally remember what hurt us. We’ll remember the betrayal, the disappointment, the battle, the fear, and the door that closed. But God says, remember Me. Remember where I met you. Remember where I carried you. Remember where I gave you strength. Remember where I gave you peace. Remember where I made a way.

And here’s the beautiful part: all of these altars are ultimately pointing us somewhere. Bethel points us toward the God who comes near. YHWH-Nissi points us toward the God who gives victory. YHWH-Shalom points us toward the God who gives peace. And when you put all of that together, you start seeing something bigger happening throughout the story of Scripture. God is preparing His people for the ultimate revelation of who He is, and that revelation is Jesus.

The God who came near would come near in flesh. The God who gives victory would defeat sin, death, and the grave. The God who gives peace would reconcile us to Himself. And all of it would come together at one altar: the cross.

We aren’t there yet in this week’s devotional, but that’s where we’re headed. Because the cross isn’t just another altar. It’s the ultimate altar. So as you finish this week, don’t just remember what happened to you. Remember the God who was with you in it. Remember your Bethel. Remember your YHWH-Nissi. Remember your YHWH-Shalom. And then keep following the story, because every altar has been pointing us toward Jesus.

Reflect
If you could build a memorial altar for one thing God has done in your life, what would it commemorate? Which do you need to remember most right now: God is with me, God fights for me, or God gives me peace? What does it mean to you that all of these revelations ultimately point toward Jesus and the cross?

Pray
Jesus, help me remember. When I am tempted to focus on everything that went wrong, remind me of everything You have done. Thank You for meeting me, fighting for me, and giving me peace. I know that every altar points beyond itself to You. Prepare my heart to see the cross for what it truly is—the ultimate altar and the ultimate sacrifice. Amen.

Live It
Before you go to sleep tonight, take a few minutes and remember one time God met you, one battle God brought you through, and one moment when God gave you peace. Then thank Him for each one. God was there. God is here. And God will be there.