I’ve been deep diving recently on altars. Not really what one would think of as ancient or symbolic, but as something very real, and applicable today… something we are meant to live out every day. Something we are completely missing the boat on now culturally.
All throughout Scripture, when God showed up, people didn’t just feel something and move on like we so casually do today. Back then, they stopped. They marked it. They responded. They built an altar.
And we’ve lost that.
We feel conviction… and then scroll.
We sense God… and keep moving.
We are invited into encounter… and we walk past it.
But an altar demands a response.
Altars of encounter are not casual moments; they are interruptions from heaven. When God draws near, when His presence presses in, you shouldn’t simply move on. You should stop. You should lean in. You let it break you if it needs to. In real life, this means you don’t rush out of that moment of conviction, that pull to pray, that stirring in your spirit. You stay. You respond. You let God have access to you right then and there.
Altars of worship and thanksgiving are where gratitude gets a voice. Not quiet appreciation, expression. You open your mouth. You give Him honor. You refuse to take credit for what only He could have done. You make it known: “That was God.”
Altars of sacrifice are where most people turn away. Because this is where it costs you. This is where God puts His finger on something and says, “Give Me that.” Your comfort. Your control. Your pride. And in that moment, you either build an altar… or you protect the thing He asked for. Daily life is full of these moments. Obedience is the altar. God wants your FULL surrender. And yes, this means sacrifice.
Altars of repentance and return are where pride dies. When something in you has drifted, when conviction hits, you don’t defend it; you can’t, rightfully. You don’t delay. You drop to the altar. You turn. Fully. Honestly. No excuses. And every single time, He meets you there.
Altars of covenant and commitment are the lines you don’t cross back over. These are the “I’m done playing games” moments. Not emotional spikes, finalized decisions that hold. In daily life, this is consistency. This is following through when it’s inconvenient, when it’s quiet, when no one is watching.
Here’s the truth: through Jesus Christ, the altar is no longer a place you visit, it’s who you are. Our lives are living sacrifices, and the quality of the sacrifice falls directly upon you.
Your life is the altar.
Your obedience is the offering.
Your response is the fire.
So don’t miss this:
When God draws near… stop.
When He speaks… respond.
When He asks… surrender.
When He convicts… return.
When you commit… don’t look back.
Don’t walk past the moment. Build the altar.
And know that when you need help build or tending to your altar, which ever it may be in that moment, we’re walking this together.
~ Devin
Devin Osborne
