The Highest Place

   "As God is exalted to the right place in our lives, a thousand problems are solved all at once."
                                                       A.W. Tozer



The highest place on this earth today is Mount Everest. It is named as the highest mountain because it has the "highest elevation above sea level". It can also be said that it has the highest altitude. At its' majestic peak, it stands at 29,035 feet above the level of the sea. It stands on the border of Nepal and China and countless people across the globe have made it their lives ambition to climb it. It’s beauty inspires awe, and the globe is captivated by it.

The Bible also talks to us about high places. The simple definition of a high place is a place of worship on an elevated piece of land. In the Old Testament, high places were used both for idol worship and for the worship of God. The first place of worship, that is later called a high place, is found in the book of Genesis. It says, Abram passed through the land to the locality of Shechem, to the oak or terebinth tree of Moreh. And the canaanites were there in the land. Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, 'I will give this land to your posterity.' So Abram built an altar there to the Lord, Who had appeared to him. From there he pulled up his tent pegs and departed to the mountain on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; and there he built an altar to the Lord and called upon the name of the Lord" (Genesis 12:6-8).

Even though high places may seem archaic to us in our culture, I would propose to you that they still exist today. This past year (September 26-30), a reproduction of the Arch of Palmyra was on display in Washington D.C. The significance of this arch cannot be overstated. Until 2015, when it was destroyed by ISIS, this ancient arch stood in the entrance of the temple of Baal in Syria. Now a reproduction exists and is being transported to significant locations around the globe, touted as a "symbol of resilience and peace". Hardly. I believe that God allowed this arch into our nation as a sign for those of us who are paying attention. The biblical symbolism for this would be the acceleration of even more overt idol worship in our land.

Before you cast this out as being irrelevant in your own life, think about the unholy trinity that currently exists in America today. They are: perverted worship (worship of idols), perverted morality, and infant sacrifice (abortion). This is the same combination of problems that existed for Israel when Ahab and Jezebel were in power. Because the Israelites persisted in their sins, God allowed the Assyrians to destroy the northern kingdom and the Babylonians to destroy Jerusalem and the southern kingdom.

While our culture doesn't typically have little statues that we pray to, there are nevertheless a plethora of idols that run rampant through our land. An idol is defined as anything in our life that commands more attention or loyalty or dedication than the One, True God. Whether or not we acknowledge this, much of the church in America is as polytheistic (many gods) as an Hindu in India would be. Some of our untouchable idols are as follows: self, sports, Netflix, social media, pride,wealth, comfort, phone, security, fame, celebrities, appearances, children, accolades, food, alcohol, drugs, pornography, and the list goes on and on...

If we are polytheistic in our lives, we will be double-minded in our thinking. Our faith will gradually wane, little by little. This is why we are witnessing a "falling away" in our churches today. People run to and fro searching for the new "latest and greatest" and we forget the Giver of all good things. Even within our churches, we can find skewed priorities. Pride can run rampant and self-glorification can supersede the glory of God.

So, this begs the question, What is the highest place in your life? What occupies your thoughts, your time, your energy, your resources, your talent, and your heart? This question is applicable to everyone whether we are in full-time ministry or a lay person that claims to be a Christ follower. All of us must determine our answer both in spirit and in truth.

In the Old Testament, God commanded that every high place that was not dedicated to Him must be destroyed. The same is true today. In the New Testament, Paul told the church in Colossae  to "put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry" (Colossians 3:5). The true worship of God commands that we have no other gods besides Him (Exodus 20:3).

One of the titles of Jesus is the Word of God. John tells us that "in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1). If our God dwells within His Word, which is the Bible, then it is The Word of God that should be elevated to the highest place. As our culture around us slips more and more down the slippery slope of moral relativism, our role as the standard bearers of His image and His Word becomes all the more important.

As we pray for our nation and its future, we must ask God to search our hearts and lives to see where polytheism may exist for us and for our loved ones. When the church is repentant, we will see revival. But, as long as other gods exist in the lives of God's children, our nation will continue its slide into utter moral depravity.

It is time for the real church of Jesus Christ to arise and shine in the glory for which God has apportioned for us. It is time for God to be honored and elevated to His rightful position in our hearts and in our homes. It is time to shatter every idol and lie from the enemy that these idols will bring fulfillment to our lives. It is time to realize the seriousness of the hour in which we live. We must stand and we must speak out in love.

Pandora's box has been opened in our nation and the only way to overcome the evil and perversion that exists is for God's children to be passionate and serious about their relationship with Him. We can only overcome evil with good, and good can only come from God, Himself.

God must be exalted in our land again. His Word must be exalted above our feelings and circumstances and everything else. We must let go of the opinions of others and do what God has placed us on this earth to do. We must be the people that God has created us to be. We are here, at this time, with so much purpose. And, all those purposes will unify and be strong when God truly becomes the highest places in our hearts collectively.


"And Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him on the mountain and said, 'Say to this house of Jacob and tell the Israelites:...therefore, if you will obey My voice in truth and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own peculiar possession and treasure from among and above all peoples; for all the earth is Mine" (Exodus 19:3,5).