There is an Altar, and then there is the One who Alters.

Yes, the two vowels: “A” and “E” are HUGE!!!

Many times, in the Old Testament narratives, we see how the Israelites were instructed by God to pause and build an altAr.  When instructed to build an altAr of stones, Joshua did not allow his thinking to become altEred, but he did exactly as God led him to do—to stack those stones there on the other side of the Jordan River.  These were the stones the twelve men (one from each of the twelve tribes of Israel) had picked up from the bed of the stream as they walked on DRY ground where the stream once flowed.  If Joshua had not exactly followed God, if Joshua had altEred from the LORD God’s plan, if the twelve men had not moved in obedience, if the priests had not carried the Ark of the Covenant across the dry riverbed, and if the people had not set out as Joshua led them to do—–then there would have never been a reason to construct an altAr of stones (on the OTHER SIDE of the Jordan River).

Do not believe me; Believe the Word of God. 

“So the people crossed opposite Jericho.
And the priests who carried the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan while all Israel crossed on dry ground, until all the nation had finished crossing the Jordan.”

(Joshua 3: 16-17)

Then God spoke to Joshua and told him to take twelve men back into the middle of the river (where the priests were standing there on dry ground).   Once in the middle, these twelve guys knelt down and chose one stone each, one stone to represent each man’s tribe of people.

• Each man did exactly as Joshua said.
• Joshua did not altEr from God’s plan.
• The priests did not altEr from God’s plan.
• The Israelites crossed over and did not altEr from God’s plan.
• The twelve men did not altEr from God’s plan.
• Then Joshua spoke, assuring them of the truth of God just witnessed, one that must be shared.

“Let this be a sign among you, so that when your children ask later, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’
Then you shall say to them, ‘Because the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off.’
So these stones [stacked as an an altAr to God] shall become a memorial to the sons of Israel forever.”

(Joshua 4: 6-7)

It is a fact, God will lead us to know Him.
It is a fact, we are born with this innate desire within us.
It is a fact God wants to reveal Himself to us, for us to intimately know Him as Savior and LORD. 
It is a fact that—
We can search our hearts;
We can know our ungodly ways;
We can repent of our sins against God;
God will lead us to altEr our walk, our lives;
God will forgive us of our sins and heal our hearts.

IT IS A FACT—-WE CAN ALTeR OUR WAYS (our actions, our thoughts, our reactions, and our words).
It is a FACT—-WE CAN—THROUGH GOD!!!

God hears our prayers, ALWAYS.
God knows our hearts, ALWAYS. 
God answers prayers, ALWAYS.
The Bible says, “He has given heed to the voice of my prayer [God has].
Blessed be God,
Who has not turned away my prayer nor His lovingkindness from me”  (Psalm 66:19-20)

Let us be ALT–E–RED TODAY!
Let us stand on the dry ground, knowing God Himself has brought us to this place, and let us bend down and pick up our stone today.
Let us praise God’s faithfulness for all to see, and let us stack our stones as a memorial, as an ALT–A–R to Almighty God.
Yes, let us be ALTERED by our Creator, Savior, and LORD.