Even our most startling and compelling encounter with God can fade in our memory over time. Just ask the people of God who crossed over the Red Sea! At the time, you would be willing to swear that you would never forget the powerful way God worked in your life. You would never allow time to burnish the divine encounter that so dramatically changed your life. But inevitably the divine encounter “wears off” and we return to business as usual.
As soon as Gideon recognized he had just encountered God, He built an altar to commemorate that moment. He wanted a spiritual marker to remember the time when God set the direction for his life. For the remainder of his days, every time Gideon passed by that way, he was reminded of what God told him.
Gideon might become distracted over time. He could become extremely busy and preoccupied. He might even have his faith waiver in the face of a new challenge. But whenever he saw that altar, he was reminded that he had a calling on his life and that God had spoken to him clearly.
There are many ways to mark a spiritual high water moment in your life. The means is not as important as the fact that you built a spiritual marker by which to remember it. Be sure to visit your spiritual markers regularly and to recall what God said to you.