Building an Altar

What does being “called” look like? Are we always prepared for the journey that God takes us on and is it okay if we don’t feel adequate to do what He has called us to do?

Abraham heard the call of the Lord to leave his homeland, his place of comfort and security, and to walk with Him. God was leading him to Canaan, the land of milk and honey, and gave him the promise of being blessed to be a blessing to the nations.  He obeyed God and journeyed with Him to the Promised Land. When Abraham arrived in Canaan, he saw that the land was already taken. 

He had just ventured on this long and difficult journey through the arid desert with his wife, the hundreds of people under his care, his droves of cattle, tents and all of his possessions.  And I can only imagine they were tired and ready to settle down but when they get to the land that Abraham told them about, they saw that it was overrun by evil idol worshippers. Had Abraham heard the Lord right? Had he made a huge mistake? Had he brought his people all that way for nothing? The strongman had a hold of the land and, looking at what Israelites were up against, it was easy to feel hopeless and discouraged.

In the midst of fear and uncertainty, Abraham had a choice to make. Was he going to believe God or his circumstances? What he did next was amazing! In spite of what Abraham saw with his eyes, he made the choice to stand on the promises of the Lord. He chose to believe God, so he pitched his tent, built an altar, and invoked the name of the Lord. He chose to worship and proclaimed the Name of the Lord over the land, establishing His presence! This became a habit for Abraham as he walked with the Lord, and chose not to be moved by his circumstances, he would only be moved by obedience and faith in God. 

Just like Abraham, we all have a calling, a purpose in our lives. In my case, God called me back to Guatemala, the land of my birth. This small country is beautifully decorated with majestic-green mountains, clear blue lakes, waterfalls, desert lands, flora, volcanoes, and lush jungles. It is surrounded by the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. But there is trouble in paradise. Its beauty is overshadowed by its crime-ridden streets, gang wars, poverty, drug cartels, death, and violence.  Evil has taken possession of the land and its roots run deep. The heartbreaking reality is that gangs and drug cartels are recruiting children as young as ten years old for target assassinations, extortions, and drug deals… it’s just too hard to fathom. The enemy has stolen the innocence and identity of the youth in Guatemala and is killing them in the streets.

On my first prayer walk through La Limonada, I remember seeing a group of teenage boys getting high in an alleyway close to where my grandmother once lived. My dad discreetly pointed to a gun that was sticking out of one of their pockets and told me to walk with confidence and to be careful. My dad walked in front of the team and greeted them with a smile as I locked eyes with one of the boys. I wasn’t prepared for what I saw…hopelessness and death. Fear tried to wrap its arms around me and at that moment I asked God, \”Is this really what you have called me to? Are you sure you have the right person?\”

Looking at what we are up against is not easy. There have been generations of darkness that has settled in the hearts of the people and it looks too big, too dangerous. And when we look at our limitations, it really looks impossible. But in the midst of all this, God called me to Guatemala; and just like Abraham, I made the decision to believe in the promises of God. 

God called me to walk with Him and so I am.  I’m a brand new missionary back in my native country, learning about my culture, the land, the politics…I don’t have the strength or the resources…I find myself between a rock and a hard place. But just like Abraham, I choose to build an altar. 

I will build an altar in the most dangerous places in Guatemala City and invoke the Name of the Lord! I am going back to the community where my grandmother raised her children…I’m going back to the streets where my father grew up to reclaim them for Jesus Christ. Guatemala will hear my praises and the releasing of the sound of heaven over the land, proclaiming salvation, and bringing hope to the hopeless. The presence of God will break through the darkness and this generation, and the generations that follow will rise up to transform their communities, their cities, and the nations!  

As we build an altar in Guatemala, we have the privileged to see walls fall down, chains broken.  Transformation is happening in youth like Junior, a former drug addict who lived on the streets for over three years. He was radically saved and was marked by the Holy Spirit. He made the decision to walk with God and be empowered to reach the lost in his community. Now he is discipling a young man and teaching him about his identity as a son of God. Junior walks in the certainty that God is who He says He is and that He will do what He said He would do.

We are walking with the Lord in the streets of Guatemala and choosing to not be moved by what we face but to only be moved by obedience and faith in Him.

He is God and He reigns!