February 3 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Devotional

The journey from the plains of the Euphrates to the hills of Judea is told in five verses. Accompanied by Sarai, his childless wife, and his nephew Lot, Abram left a prosperous country. Abram and his household moved into Canaan from the north and went as far south as Bethel, in the region of the Judean desert. This was the great trek, the historic journey by which the center of attention and the focus of revelation was shifted to Canaan for the next two thousand years. Yet the account is as sober as it is brief. Hundreds of miles and numerous events are compressed into a few sentences. But twice the writer mentions that Abram built an altar to the Lord.

The altar marks the point where God has spoken and where Abram has responded in faith. Altars are the sites where Abram has met his God. All the dangers and delights of the long trip may be omitted from the record. But the building of the altars is important.

Here is an outstanding feature of a life that is lived with God. Progress is not measured by miles or ordinary events. All of that may be overlooked when the account is written. But the points that must be mentioned are the occasions for altar building.

Therefore the life that is lived with God remains a mystery to an outsider. Every other life is lived from diploma to promotion to paycheck. People measure their journeys by the houses they lived in and the travels they made. But the life of the man or woman who lives with God is measured from altar to altar.

Such a life reaches its goal when God's presence is uninterrupted and when his last promise has been fulfilled. "Then I will go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and delight. I will praise you . . . O my God" (Ps. 43:4).

REFLECTIONS

What are the "altars" in your life?

Andrew Kuyvenhoven's Daylight, a modern devotional classic, was originally published by Paideia Press in 1977. This updated edition is copyright 2009 by Faith Alive Christian Resources. You can order a copy of this revised version of the book directly from the publisher.

A man of many accomplishments, Andrew Kuyvenhoven is probably best known for his contributions to Today (formerly The Family Altar), a widely-used monthly devotional booklet associated with the Back to God Hour. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations for this updated edition of Daylight are from the Holy Bible: Today's New International Version copyright 2001, 2005 by the International Bible Society.