INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE ALTAR

Today's reading: Leviticus 16-18

I have to tell you, when I got to my prayer chair this morning and checked my daily Bible reading chart and found out I was in Leviticus this morning, I let out a sigh.

Not the kind of sigh that says, 'Boy, I'm glad I'm in Leviticus, kind of sigh'.

Or the kind of sigh that says, 'Aah, another day in Leviticus, I'm so glad', kind of sigh.

It, to be quiet honest, was the kind of sigh that might be interpreted in the King James Version as, 'Ugh, not Leviticus this morning--I needest something a little more upbeat this morning!'

But I did find something I want to share. Something profound. Something needful. Something to chew on.

It's in the subtitles, or the bold texts preceeding the chapters.

It's what came before chapter 16 in my Bible...

Instructions for the Altar

My prayer for you is this...

Your church's instructions for the altar is simple: Use it.

I pray the same thing for your altar at home.

Leviticus 16 goes on for 34 verses with explicit instruction as to what can or cannot be done at the newly constructed altar. How it could be used. Who could approach it. What needed done before even thinking about coming to the altar.

I hope your altars are open for business at all times. Available for all types of prayer--thanksgiving, needs, sorrows, heartaches, praises. For private worship. For families to gather and present problems. For friends to carry burdens to Jesus' feet for each other. For midnight prayer meetings. For morning pick-me-ups. For middle of the day appointments with the Lord. For leading folks to the saving knowledge of a personal Savior and Friend.