[moldbreakers]

I’m a music lover. Something about intricate harmonies and unique melodies and beautiful stringed instruments and bass-heavy trap beats – it speaks to me. Fairly often, you’ll find me listening to music. It’s a place of solace for me.

Recently, a song off of Elevation Worship’s new album has been stuck in my head – “O Come to the Altar.” I really like the sound and lyrics. But I didn’t really understand the words to the song. I might as well have been listening to Fetty Wap.

“Are you hurting and broken within
Overwhelmed by the weight of your sin
Jesus is calling
Have you come to the end of yourself
Do you thirst for a drink from the well
Jesus is calling

O come to the altar
The Father’s arms are open wide
Forgiveness was bought with
The precious blood of Jesus Christ”

Sometimes I get caught in the song and don’t think about what I’m saying. I was singing the words, but I didn’t understand how they applied to me. Sure, I‘ve experienced brokenness. We all do: that ended relationship, that death in your family that came all-to-soon, that loneliness or stuck feeling that comes in the middle of the night, a lack of purpose… we all sometimes get that feeling that something isn’t quite right with the world around us. And it isn’t. The world – and myself – we are messed up. And I hate it. As much as like to act like I have it all together, life just doesn’t work that way.

But what about this altar? How does that serve as a remedy for the pain I feel in the depths of my heart?

In the bible, the Altar was a place of worship. It was first where Noah offered praise and honor to God after he and his family left the ark, and many times after that throughout the bible.

But it was also a place of sacrifice. When people sinned, they would offer a sacrifice to God, and through that offering, God’s wrath was appeased and he was honored.

Still confused?

Have you ever wronged someone? If you have, you’ll know that it makes the next encounter with that person very awkward. You aren’t quite sure what to say because you aren’t quite sure how that person feels about you.

My past mistakes and sins are the things that most discourage me from visiting with God. That’s why I need to go to the altar. At the ultimate altar, and offering was made that ended all sacrifices. That’s where the sacrifice of the broken, bloodied body of Jesus Christ was offered up for me and everything I’d ever gone wrong. His death in place for mine. But he isn’t there anymore; that crucified body has been restored and put in heaven to show that God’s power has no limits.

And because of that sacrifice – the loving arms of God the Father are open and waiting.

Jesus’s sacrifice made God’s embrace reachable. That’s where I need to be; to bow my head and give praise that Jesus gave everything he had so that I could run to the open arms of the Father. I don’t have to be awkward when I come to God because I know how he feels about me. He loves me – and I know that because he sent his Son to die for an unworthy, mistake-filled person like me. God gave it all so we could have him. The altar is where it all went down, and there we can lay down our concerns and failures and fears and discouragement and past – and Jesus destroys it just like he did death.

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?” – Isaiah 43:18-19

He is doing something new, and it is for you and me. Come to the altar, and I promise he will show you.

[O come to the altar // the Father’s arms are open wide // Forgiveness was bought with // the precious blood of Jesus Christ]

If you’ve stumbled on this post and think this is all a bit strange, that’s because it is. Strange, but 100% true. If you’ve ever felt alone or empty, or feel like you are unlovable because of past things you’ve done or had done to you, the altar is open for you today. Jesus died there so you could have forgiveness. God wants you to come to him and celebrate that you are his child. He doesn’t want you to be burdened with the past. He wants you to be free in the future – but that only happens in a relationship with Jesus Christ. Admit that you can’t do life by yourself and commit to live for Him. He will guide you. I beg you to try me – and I guarantee that you’ll find truth in Jesus when you seek him.
[RAH]