Do you often go on your roof?
To get on the roof of our house it would be quite an achievement, not to mention thoroughly entertaining for anyone passing by. I can honestly say I have never been on our roof, nor do I have any intention of doing so – we have a pitched roof – need I say more? Our roof simply keeps our house dry and warm.
My roof is not a place to go and hang out. But in Bible times, rooftops were very different.
In Bible Times
Rooftops were flat, made from branches laid across wooden beams forming a mat which was covered in clay and tampered down with a stone roller. They were useful, accessible from an outside staircase, people would dry fruit and store belongings on the roof. They provided a refuge somewhere to hide in times of trouble or to sleep during hot summers. They served as a hub for community; people gathered on rooftops during times of excitement. They were used for announcements too; town criers made public proclamations from rooftops. They also offered a private place to relax and have privacy to walk, meditate, and pray.
Peter went onto the roof to pray and it is there he had an encounter with God
see Acts 10:9
Perspective
In spite of the challenge to get onto the roof with only a short ladder, the perspective one gained made it worthwhile. I may not have been on our roof, but my husband has. It enabled him to see from a new perspective. No longer did he consider the foot paths, the weeds and smaller details, but he viewed the bigger picture. From the roof he saw the size of people’s properties, our proximity to major roads and how close kangaroos are to us at dusk. Nothing at ground level could touch him. Our children could call out to him, we could ask him to come down, but the fact of the matter was
on the rooftop he was untouched by anything down below
Encounter
When I think of a rooftop, I imagine God-encounters and the rich treasures He speaks during times of intimacy with Him.
Call to me and I will answer you. I’ll tell you marvellous and wondrous things that you could never figure out on your own.
Jeremiah 33:3 The Message
A rooftop is a place of intimacy with God.
A place to gain heaven’s perspective – to see beyond the natural and into the supernatural. A place where God shares riches from heaven as we worship Him, meditate on His word and interact with Him through prayer. In the book of Revelation, John was invited to a rooftop encounter where the Spirit revealed riches from heaven (see Revelation 4). We too are invited to rise up to rooftop encounters.
Treasure Awaits
God is longing to drop treasure into your heart as you meet with Him today. It is my prayer the phrase
Go out on the roof
Gain His perspective
Encounter Him
always inspires you into intimacy with our Father.
What I say to you in the darkness, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, announce from the rooftops.
Matthew 10:27 CEB
I’m off to get quiet so I can hear what God is whispering. I have decided to live out of a position of rooftop encounters with my Father so I have words of life and hope to share with those around me. Will you join me?
– Go out on the roof – Get His perspective – Encounter Him – Encourage others –
