“From Judah will come the cornerstone, from him the tent peg, from him the battle bow, from him every ruler.” (Zechariah 10:4 NIV)
We read Zechariah 10 and we remember that Jesus came from Judah. He is the cornerstone, the tent peg, the battle bow and the ruler.
I’m at a ladies retreat today and the theme is ‘Girls Gone Glamping’. There are tents scattered throughout the Tabernacle where we eat and meet and pray and sing and receive and respond to the message. Every time I think about tents, I think about my personal call to build altars, live in tents and dig deep wells. (Genesis 26:25) Tent-dwelling is the hardest piece of that call.
Rob and I are facing another move next week. Our closing appointment is on the calendar and we are seven days out from being homeowners again. As of yesterday, I hadn’t yet packed a box because prior commitments have kept me all kinds of occupied. I’m trying not to be overwhelmed.
The truth is: as much as I am excited about the new house, I am unenthused about packing. I refuse to count our relocations in the last five years, it was humbling enough to verify past addresses with our lender.
Honestly, I am tired from sojourning. There is some measure of relief in the fact that we are buying. Our little lemon drop will have Rob and Anna Thoreson on the deed. But what brings me far more solace today is that Jesus is our tent peg. We center our lives around Him and He determines the times and places that we live.
The life of the Christ-follower is parapetic. We respond to His perfect leading, even when we don’t understand where He’s going. Today I realize that He is the tent peg at the heart of our home – no matter where we erect our tent. He holds the entire household together.
If we keep reading Zechariah 10, we find all kinds of encouragement for the sons and daughters of God: compassion, redemption, procreation, restoration, inclusion in the kingdom of God. But the part that really encouraged me this morning is the bit about the strength we find in the Lord.
““I will strengthen them in the Lord and in His name they will live securely.” declares the Lord.” (Zechariah 10:12 NIV)
Lives lived in tents will find strength in the Lord as their central tent stake. God sated it clearly: He will strengthen them and they will live securely. Life in a tent will always include some level of risk, but when the Lord is at the center of our earthly existence, we are strengthened and we are secured in Him.
Time to get packing and get ready to pull up stakes again: especially that center one!
Lord, please give us the courage to continue in this paretic life on planet earth. We all live in tents. May we spend all our effort and energy in obedience to You. Stand as our central tent peg: our whole existence staked out around You. Give us strength to carry out the details of whatever You are calling us to. Have Your way in our canvas and frame. May we be ever grateful to belong to You. Amen.