It's Time to Move On

 

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amping!  Fresh air! The great outdoors!  Cooking over an open flame! Singing songs around the campfire! Sleeping out underneath the stars!  What could be more wonderful, more adventurous, or more fun?  Of course, there is the other side of camping which is less talked about.  Pitching the tent!  Taking down and erecting the dining tarp! Fighting mosquitoes!  Keeping provisions dry and away from wild animals!  Packing up camp in the morning and setting it up in the evening!  Sounds like loads of fun doesn’t it?   

 

I mean what could be better than hiking all day, carrying all this on your back, arriving at a new campsite, and having to put everything together before eating or going to sleep? For this reason, people either love camping, or they hate it.  They either live for all the thrills the experience brings or they stay as far away from it as possible.  It is to this first group of people, from those who love it, that today’s Tidbit is dedicated. 

 

The Scriptures have much to say about the camping life; in fact, some of the greatest heroes of the faith lived in tents as a way of life.  Perhaps the most famous of all these individuals is Abraham, who was known as the friend of God. Called to leave his family, his country, and all he had known before, Abraham packed up everything and headed for a land God had promised him although he did not know where it was.  He spent the rest of his life living in this land, dwelling in tents, moving from place to place, without having a permanent home.  Yet, he never complained about this life.  Instead, his relationship with God grew ever deeper and he received one blessing after another. 

 

They symbol of Abraham’s faith was his tent.  He set up his camp and remained in a certain location for a short time.  Then, when it was time to move on, he broke camp, packed up all he had, set out with his caravan, and continued on until he arrived at the next campsite.  Once there, he unpacked all he had, set up the tents, and began the process of daily living all over again. 

 

Hebrews 11:9 reminds us of Abraham’s faith, “By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.”  Notice how the writer of Hebrews stresses the fact that Abraham lived as a stranger in a foreign land, making his home in tents.  He lived his life in accordance to God’s promise and when God said it was time to move on, Abraham pulled up the tent pegs and left! 

 

I was reminded of this during the past several weeks as I emptied my former home and moved several miles away.  As my apartment grew more and more empty, I realized God was telling me to move on, to pull up the tent pegs, to pitch my tent in a new place and to trust Him with the next leg of my life’s journey. 

 

This is always the way God works. He asks us to trust Him on a daily basis.  To pull up and move at a moment’s notice, knowing He will take care of the particulars, providing everything we need, exactly when we need it, but in a manner, we could never foresee or imagine.  Wherever you are in your walk with God today, I trust you know the joy and the peace that comes from trusting our Heavenly Father.  Striking camp isn’t always fun, but it always brings new experiences and news opportunities for God to prove once again that He is able and willing to care for us no matter where we pitch our tents!  Is it time for you to move on today?  Are you ready and willing to strike camp and head for parts unknown?  If so, pull up those tent pegs, strike camp, pack up, and head out!