I can remember going camping a lot when my boys were young. It was always good family time, except for pitching the tent. When the boys were small, they weren’t much help, so my wife and I were left setting up the tent by ourselves. As the boys got older, everyone was able to pitch in to help.
There were three things that were important in setting up our tent:
- We had to make sure that all the pieces were there
- We had to find good, level ground with no rocks
- We had to make sure that it was securely mounted and grounded
In today’s reading from Exodus (40:16-21, 34-38), Moses is following God’s directives in setting up a tent. But this is not just any tent, but a place that will house the Ark of the Covenant. And once that structure was set-up, God settled in that tent and his glory filled it. (This was in the form of a cloud, much like the cloud that covered Mt. Sinai indicating that God was present there.)
God wants to set-up his tent in our hearts. But how do we prepare for something like that? Actually, it’s the same way that we pitch a tent:
- Making sure we’re not missing any pieces: we need to follow our instruction manual, the Bible, in order to follow the teachings of Jesus. We need to lay it all out to make sure that we’ve got what’s needed. We do this with an open heart, mind, and soul. And then we need to have the proper tools to move forward. We need a plan of action to ensure that we are moving in the right direction – closer to God and not away.
- Having good, level ground with no rocks: there’s nothing worse than sleeping on rocks. Therefore, we need to get rid of those things that keep us from meeting the Lord daily. Things like anger, jealousy, hate, greed, resentment, etc. We need to avoid the pressures of society by putting ourselves first before others.
- Being securely mounted and grounded: we need a solid prayer life. We’ve got to pray each day for strength and guidance. We need to be grounded in our faith in order to face the challenges ahead of us. We need that deep-seeded faith that withstand the forces of evil and temptation. And we also need to have a deep love of God and all people.
Therefore, we pray to ask God to settle within us, to pitch his tent, so that his glory will fill us and strengthen us to go out and do his will. Amen!
