One of the best things about being a kid are the infinite possibilities for fun in a constantly changing-never ending playground. From cardboard boxes to trees, and dirt to gravity, they provide endless hours of entertainment. But this barely scratches the surface of what nature offers and doesn’t even touch all the invented toys.
In our world there have been a few consistent choices that always bring about joy and have special memories all around them. Trucks and dolls definitely rank up there, and what kid doesn’t love a jump rope or ball. Those are great but to kick off this series, I am talking about a tent! It was something I enjoyed thoroughly as a kid and I like watching my kids do the same. (I do hate the cleanup, however).
Building a Tent! Close pins (or chip clips) and rubber bands, books and chairs, blankets and couch cushions, pillows and sheets are the things great forts are made from.
There is something magical about this experience for a child. I’m not sure what is the infatuation, but I think it has to do with the idea of creating something new and sparking the imagination with a sense of adventure.
And guess what? Even in scripture there is a lot of talk about tents but one in particular that holds exceptionally valuable biblical history as well as truth for us today. In Exodus 33 we read about the Tent of Meeting that Moses built.
The thing that made it so special, and I believe is also part of the allure of the ones kids make, is the WHO. In this tent, Moses would meet WITH GOD! Moses set up this tent and would speak to the LORD face to face “as one speaks to a friend” (Ex 33:11). This was the beginning of the ongoing human experience of connecting and communicating with God as well as the understanding of a personal relationship with the Father.
As time went on the understanding evolved and the value on this place of meeting also grew. This presents a fascinating concept as the relationship with God is the very desire for His creation from the beginning. But, it gets disrupted and the connection broken by sin. While God is all powerful and all knowing and always present, the relationship with EACH and ALL of humanity has to grow and develop naturally. And so begins the process of revelation to the world of need for and value of this relationship through by way of this primitive tent!
From this portable makeshift living room canopy to a much more ornate and extravagant temple we see how God reveals the significance of this communion with creation. This is a place of dedicated time and scared gathering where the human race could and would meet with their God.
All throughout scripture, then, we see how God weaves and orchestrates deeper and continuous relationship with and through individuals. It ultimately culminates with Jesus as God makes Himself tangibly present in human form and then makes relationship more accessible physically and mentally through real life application. Jesus teaches and corrects, brings clarity and explanation to all that the history of mankind has been uncovering through the perpetual visitation in this ‘tent of meeting’.
Finally, we learn and discover that WE ARE this TEMPLE (1 Cor 3:16-17)! We are in essence the ‘tent of meeting’ – the space in which the presence of God dwells and interaction or relationship with God takes grows. And we have direct access to the Father and can speak with our God as “to a friend.”
So, next time you have a little one in your life working on a sweet living room tent, first get in on the action and play with them. Then , think about the connection you have the Heavenly Father and how God might be waiting to speak to you as you take time out of your life to purposefully connect with Him! Or maybe you’re more likely to go camping or perhaps just see a tent on a commercial, that’s fine, go ahead and let it remind you of God’s desire to meet you right where you are at and grow in a relationship with you!
May you find Purpose in Proximity with the Paternally Divine.
#FunAndGames
#TentOfMeeting
#RestoringWholenessOfLife
Brett
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