Altar of Remembrance of God's Faithfulness
The Altar at the Garden is set up with three large stones and is surrounded by the Names of God with a bubbler fountain in the center. This is a place where those who visit the Garden sense the presence of God.
Throughout the Old Testament, God performed powerful miracles, rescued His people from impossible situations, and taught many important lessons. Sometimes, He would instruct them to erect stones as pillars—altars of remembrance—to remind future generations of His faithfulness. These altars reminded the people and gave them the strength they needed to trust in the Lord so they could survive future challenges.
In Genesis 28, Jacob set up a stone and anointed it with oil after God showed him in a dream a stairway reaching to heaven. God promised to be with Jacob and watch over him, and Jacob vowed to serve Him. In Exodus 24, after God gave Moses and all the laws, Moses wrote everything down, then built an altar with 12 stone pillars to represent the 12 tribes of Israel. In Joshua 4, after crossing the Jordan River into the Promised Land, Joshua and the Israelites built a similar altar.
Whether God has shared a vision, given us victory over our enemies, or reconciled us to an estranged family member, we can build our own "Altar of Remembrance" to be able to see Him in our past circumstances, remember what He has taught us, and move forward in the future to make wise choices.
This can also be instrumental in sharing our personal stories with non-believers who otherwise would have no interest in hearing about the Bible. Take some time today to write down times that God has carried you through challenging trials so that you will be encouraged in the future. Keep them in a journal or write them on stones and build an altar in your garden or other location where you will be reminded of God’s goodness. You can leave a legacy to future generations and share with others a testimony of what God has done in your life.