Some of you will have no clue what I’m talking about when I say, “dry altars.” I’m referring to altars at our local churches. In times past, it was a common thing to see people at an altar crying out to God to forgive them of their sins. After seeking God for themselves, they would then turn their attention to those they knew who were bound for Hell. People had burdens for the souls of men and women. They had burdens for those who were living with overwhelming odds against them. The altars would be wet with the tears of those praying. No one seemed to care about the amount of time taken to pray, because they were talking to God. Like the woman in Matthew chapter 9 who was sick for twelve years with a blood disease, she had sought help everywhere and spent all her money but was no better. She sought Jesus because she knew He could help her. She was not concerned about those who were around her. She had one desire, to touch the garment of the one she believed could help her.
Matthew 9:20-22 “And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment: For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole. But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.”
This woman knew Jesus was the only answer to the problem she had. I feel quite certain she had shed many tears seeking healing for herself. We, who are Christians, know that the only answer for a lost world is Jesus, yet we seem to shed more tears over the loss of a pet than we do the loss of a soul.
The Bible gives clear instructions as to how we can see our altars wet again. In Psalms 51 and Psalms 139, we are reminded of God’s plan to reach the world. In Psalm 139, David speaks of an all-knowing God. He progresses through the details of God’s knowledge of him and comes to verses 23 and 24, where he asks God to search him and see if there is any wicked way in him. He is not asking God to take a second look as if God has missed something, but that God would reveal it unto him. In Psalm 51:10-13, David is seeking cleansing for his own soul. He seeks the joy of knowing he has been forgiven. He understands that until he has been restored to a right relationship with God, he is of no value to the kingdom. His desire is to win others to be converted from their sinful ways to a right relationship with God. He commits to teaching others how to be right with God and is assured they will be saved.
Psalm 51:10-13 “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.”
We need to fall on our faces before a Holy God and see ourselves as He sees us. We need to ask Him to expose our sin to our hearts and minds, which are so easily deceived, repent and begin to beg for His holy conviction on lost people. Then, He will allow us to be a light to expose sin to others, and sinners will be converted. Are our altars dry and sinners unconverted because we see ourselves as ok and do not seek the very best in our walk with God? Do we see our areas of weakness as mere imperfections because we are human, or do we acknowledge them as sin that needs to be eradicated from our lives?
Are our altars dry because we are not as close to the light, Jesus, as we should be? Light always exposes the darkness of our souls. As we get closer to Jesus, His light will reveal what is really in our hearts. Things that most would classify as Christian liberty will then be seen as sin because the Light will show us how our actions and words are not like Jesus. This is all part of the process of sanctification, and I am so very thankful for it.
God wants us to cry out to Him. He is waiting for His people to turn everything to Him, to seek His face, repent of our sins, and win others to Him. May we seek to keep our altars wet with tears of repentance and tears of joy over a lost sinner coming home. For the sake of a lost world, let’s eliminate the dry altars. II Chronicles 7:14 “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
