By“And the fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it; it shall not be put out. And the priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and lay the burnt offering in order on it; and he shall burn on it the fat of the peace offerings. A fire shall always be burning on the altar; it shall never go out.” — Leviticus 6:12 - 13 NKJV
In the Old Testament, there were many laws the Israelites had to obey aside from the ten commandments that God gave Moses on Mount Sinai in Exodus 20:1-17. One of them was the law of the burnt offerings, which the priests were to obey.
That law states that the priest should never starve the burnt offering altar of firewood. Actually, the burnt offering altar was the altar the Israelites used to make sacrifices unto the Lord mainly to show their devotion to Him. So I asked myself this question “how does this apply to us as New Testament believers in Christ?”
God wants to have divine fellowship with each of His children. And that’s the primary reason why He has built a heavenly system where the Holy Spirit dwells in each Christian distinctly. So that through His presence in us, we’ll have a direct connection to God. But there is more.
James 4:8 tells us that,
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
James 4:8 NKJV
So even though the Holy Spirit dwells in us, God expects us to draw near Him. But by what means? It’s simple—by every meaningful act of fellowship in the kingdom of God. That includes prayer, Bible study, church services, and fellowship with like-minded children of God.
Your personal intimacy with the Lord won’t grow by automation.
So looking at Leviticus 7:12-13, I see an instruction from the Lord to His children that we must be intentional about connecting with Him every moment of our lives.
Today, it’s no more raising a physical altar to connect to God because the Holy Spirit tabernacles in you (1 Corinthians 6:19). It’s about lifting your voice to pray, taking His Word to study, and beholding Jesus in all your works.
Child of God, your personal intimacy with the Lord won’t grow by automation. You have a part to play. Put fire on your altar. Learn how to pray when nobody is around you. Learn how to study the Bible yourself. God never saved you to make you too dependent on the works of His servants. Connect to Him individually and daily.
You’re a blessing.
Prayer
Oh God, thank You for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in me. As I have received from Your Word today that I should put fire on my altar by fellowshipping with you, help me to make conscious decisions that will grow my personal intimacy with you. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
Devotional Code: KGD // 2022 – 295
Download Quote and Share
