God's Tent

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Scripture


Let me dwell in Your tent forever; Let me take refuge in the shelter of Your wings. Selah.
(Psalms 61:4 NASB)
For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
(2 Corinthians 5:1 NASB)
For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life.
(2 Corinthians 5:4 NASB)
Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge.
(2 Corinthians 5:5 NASB)
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.
(2 Corinthians 5:17 NASB)

 

Observation


When I was a little girl my family used to go camping. We were living in Germany at the time and we would travel to different countries and stay in our tent -- and mom would do the cooking. It was a cheap way to travel for a family of six. I remember camping in Sweden and Yugoslavia. I think it was in Yugoslavia that we had an interesting experience with a group of gypsies who were there in the same camp. Honestly, we were not the best campers in the world. We were okay at it, but it seems that when we got to a place in life where we could afford to travel in a different way -- we did!

Tents are really just temporary things. They don't last forever. They are mobile, but they also wear out -- get holes in them, and get to a point where they simply can no longer do the job they were intended to do. This is the state of our human tent -- our human covering which we carry around in life. From the Old Testament God is calling out to us to come and dwell in his tent. His tent, by far, is better than our tent. His tent will never wear out and will never get holes or leaks. His tent will supply all of our needs.

We are invited to throw off the old tent and live within the new -- beginning here on earth. How is this possible? Because in Christ we are made new creatures. The old tent may wear out and we will physically die, but once we have entered the new tent, we will be sustained eternally.

 

Application


Jesus continues his walk through Holy Week on this Maundy Thursday. Today we will celebrate his servant attitude as he washed his disciples' feet. Tonight we will celebrate the Passover and partake of the last supper together with his followers. It was a week in which the old was being shed so that the new could come and all of humanity could be transformed.

How many of us are allowing ourselves to be exposed to the elements of the world because we refuse to get under the tent of God's protection? The tent has been put up -- the stakes driven deep into the ground. It is a safe, warm and inviting place to be. Come in out of the rain, the pain and the frustration of life and allow yourself to be transformed under the tent of God's protection.

 

Prayer


Lord, may I see you daily with all my heart and seek to constantly remain in your tent. Thank you for what Christ has done in preparing the way for us. Thank you seems so incredibly inadequate -- but there are no words that can express my gratitude. I love you, Lord. Amen.

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