“And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them.” Exodus 25:8 NKJV
One of the pleasures of living in Colorado is the beautiful terrain that beckons one to hike and camp and enjoy the outdoors. Camping with a family of 7 is always a chore of packing, planning, setting up and taking it all down but… it is worth it- every time! Much like the carving away of distractions to have quiet moments with Jesus.
I was reading Gods WORD and came across how specific God was about meeting Him in the Holy of Holies in a TENT! I was fascinated by this invitation to meet with Him that I dug deeper. Prayer closet look out- my tent is going up!
After Moses and the Israelites miraculously escaped Egypt, they lived nomadically as they roamed the dessert for 40 years before they entered the promised land. It was during this season of trusting in God for daily provision that they also learned how to draw near to the Father. God wanted to dwell among His people so He gave detailed instructions on how to build His tabernacle, how to approach him and how to worship Him. You should do your own study on the tabernacle- it’s amazing!
Tabernacle
(Hebrew: מִשְׁכַּן, mishkān, meaning “residence” or “dwelling place”), also known as the Tent of the Congregation/Tent of Meeting, was the portable earthly dwelling place of Yahweh (the God of Israel) used by the Israelites from the Exodus until the conquest of Canaan. Moses was instructed at Mount Sinai to construct and transport the tabernacle[1] with the Israelites on their journey through the wilderness and their subsequent conquest of the Promised Land. -Wikipedia
“Moses took his tent and pitched it outside the camp, far from the camp, and called it the tabernacle of meeting. And it came to pass that everyone who sought the Lord went out to the tabernacle of meeting which was outside the camp. So it was, whenever Moses went out to the tabernacle, that all the people rose, and each man stood at his tent door and watched Moses until he had gone into the tabernacle. And it came to pass, when Moses entered the tabernacle, that the pillar of cloud descended and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the Lord talked with Moses. All the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the tabernacle door, and all the people rose and worshiped, each man in his tent door. So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.” Exodus 33:7-11a NKJV
Sister, I don’t know about you but I want that face to face with Jesus too! The beauty is that when we ask Jesus to live in our hearts- we can access Him ANY time! We are called tabernacles too.
“Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?” 1 Corinthians 3:16 NIV
I love the symbolism of an inner court being our very hearts ️- where Christ dwells and waits patiently for us to spend time with Him. Friend, the question isn’t if you have access to God but do you reserve time in your tent of meeting, to have sweet uninterrupted time in God’s presence?
How does one have time as a busy mom you ask? Well we can learn from the definition of tabernacle – a portable dwelling place- and the example of the Israelites who took their tents wherever they went! We too, have this freedom to seek Jesus all day long, talking to him as we fold laundry, clean dishes, drive errands in the car (my favorite) and as we get up and go.
So mamas, lets set up our “tent time” in the the center of our day, the center of our schedules, the center of everything that we do. If we don’t put Jesus at the center, everything else will crowd Him out.
Jesus doesn’t want to be on the outskirts of your camp- He wants to be at the center!
Rae-Ellen Sanders
In her lifetime, she traveled the world exercising gifts of hospitality and a passion for missions. She now lives in the beautiful state of Colorado with her beloved husband Brian & busy crew.
She loves to be creative with cooking and meets friends for coffee. Rae-Ellen says,"My sweetest coffee dates are with Jesus!"
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