God in a Tent: December 9
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:14 (ESV)
A couple of years back we had a special treat. A good friend of our church brought a teepee and set it up for us outside of our church. We moved our liturgical services outside with the teepee and even had a child baptized in the teepee as part of the service.
This was the first time I had done a worship service in a teepee, but it will not be the first time that God has been worshiped in a tent. God's first house of worship was a tent, called the Tabernacle, or the Tent of Meeting. As His people were crossing the desert to the Promised Land, God met with them in this Tent of Meeting. God was with them for their whole trip. He watched over them and protected them as they traveled to their future home.
This Advent season we remember, through the Gospel of John, that God came down from heaven and lived among us in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus took on the tent-like dwelling of a man so that His perfect sacrifice on the cross would win for us a permanent dwelling with Jesus in heaven, through our faith in Him.
Not only that, but the Bible tells us that the Spirit of Jesus still lives in believers as we journey through this life and make our way to the Promised Land of Heaven itself. He lives in us and still watches over us and protects us.
We thank you, Jesus, that You came and made your home among us and in a tent so that we might have a home with You in the new heavens and new earth. Watch over and protect us as we travel through this wilderness, Amen.