5-4-2021

 Good Morning All!

      Gen 12:7; “Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built there an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him.”

     So, do you build altars to the Lord in places where you experience a blessing from God?  I would wager probably not.  But it is an interesting concept.  We find this happening often in the Old Testament, especially in Genesis.  It was to serve as a reminder of God’s mercy or grace being shown to his children on that spot.  This way, it was a marked place so that whenever Abram or his family passed by this spot, they would remember God’s mercy. 

    The State of South Dakota, and other states, put up signs where traffic fatalities occur to remind us to be watchful, safe drivers.  It reminds of the dangers on the road and that, as the driver, you are to be alert at all times.  We see them erect monuments and memorials at places where there is great loss of life, like the World Trade Center or the federal building in Oklahoma City.  We mark places of tragedy but why don’t we mark a place where we experience God’s grace?  If a storm destroys a house but no one inside is harmed; why isn’t that a time to mark God’s grace?  Buildings can be rebuilt; personal belongings can be replaced but we cannot restore life; why isn’t that marked as a place of God’s mercy?

     Isn’t it true, that too often, we refuse to see God’s grace because we only see the small picture?  Too often we are like the elderly grandmother who was walking with her only grandson on the beach.  Suddenly a huge wave came and washed the little boy into the sea.  The grandmother fell to her knees and began to sob uncontrollable crying out her prayers,” God please rescue my one and only grandson.  I will never ask for anything else if You would only bring him back to me.”   Suddenly, out of the sea, there appear a couple of dolphins and they are carrying the little boy back to the shore and the dolphins come so close to the shore that the boy can walk to his grandmother.  The grandmother grabs the little boy and hugs him and begins to kiss him all the while sobbing that she was afraid that he was lost forever.  After a couple of minutes, the grandmother holds the little boy at arm’s length and looks him over to see if he is alright.  She pauses, looks to heaven, and says,” He had a hat!”

     God mercies are so great that we often miss how great they are.  Too often we only see that the hat is gone; we do not see the little boy standing there in front of us.  So, we complain that our knees ache when we get out of bed.  But we can get out of bed; we have a bed to get out of; we have a voice to complain about our knees; we have someone who will listen to us complain about our knees.  We can eat breakfast; we have a home to live in.  Why don’t we build an altar to the Lord?  It could remind us of the mercy that God has shown to us. 

     Part of the reason is because the devil and our sinful nature do not want us to.  We are less likely to be separated from God when we recognize his mercy.  If we were to build an altar every time God shows us mercy; that is all we would get done.  Even in times of storms and destruction, God is there to protect us.  Things can be replaced; God’s love is present even when we do not see it.

    We do not really have to build altars to the Lord, but we do need to remember all the great mercies that we receive every single day.  We need to see his grace and not the missing hat.  We need to be a thankful people who recognize God's blessings.  Then we need to be a loving people who shares those blessings with those around us.

 Gracious Father, your mercies flow over us like a raging river.  We are inundated by the love that you give us.  Lead us to be a thankful people who see your mercies.  Lead us to be a loving people so that we will share these mercies with those who need your mercy.  As you have showered us lead us to shower others with your abundant mercy.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret