1 Samuel 14:35 (NKJV)
“Then Saul built an altar to the Lord. This was the first altar that he built to the Lord.”

One of the most difficult things to do in our Christian faith is to build and maintain an altar of devotion to the Lord. From my personal experience and from interaction with believers over the years, I have discovered that many of us are so very busy doing many justifiably good things but have neglected building and maintaining our spiritual altars.

This devotion is simply a reminder of what we already know. It is okay to do ministry, to raise your family, to engage in profitable business and to be involved in good projects, but doing all that without a consistent devotional life is doing everything in vanity. Setting up and maintaining your altar is what will give life to everything else you do.

Setting up an altar has requirements. The altar is a specific place. Be specific. It’s not okay to just offer your devotion randomly and as you please. The altar involves specific protocols. There are expected things you do at the altar. The altar requires sacrifice. Nobody goes to the altar without some sacrifice. The altar has one focus, and that focus is the person of God Himself.

How and why did Saul rule his people for so long without thinking of setting up an altar? Because he had always been successful and did not see the need to. One of the reasons we don’t make time for our spiritual altar is because we think we can survive without it. Making time for consistent fellowship with God does not seem like a priority when you are winning.

But the altar is not about getting you victory. Everything today seems to focus only on things that help us win. The altar is, first of all, a place of fellowship, of thanksgiving, and of learning. It’s a place you meet with your heavenly Father, to enjoy His presence, to listen to His voice, to appreciate Him. God waits for us at the altar, and Satan waits to stop us from going there.

Let’s commit to building and maintaining our altars. The Bible says this was “the first altar” Saul built. As we journey through life, let’s build altars wherever we go. Whenever we get to a new location or new season in life, one of the first things we need to do is build our altar. The Lord is delighted when He sees us make this a priority. He waits for us at the altar.

A thousand distractions will work to ensure your altar is not set up or maintained. From experience, your greatest life battle will be to consistently engage with God at the altar. Are you ready to wage that warfare? Or have you given up?