Day Twenty-Seven

Enlarge the place of your tent, and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out; do not hold back; lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes. - Isaiah 54:2

The themes found in chapter 54 of the book of Isaiah are celebration, expanse, excitement, newness, and steadfast love. The verses overflow with the idea that God is doing something new and we can be excited about it! Our response to the new thing God wants to do is to expand and make room for it.

Imagine for a moment that you are a young woman who is expecting her first child. As the birth approaches, you realize that you don’t know what to expect from this new and exciting life. You discuss with your spouse the various ways you can prepare and quickly realize that your current home simply does not have enough space to hold all the things you need to care for a baby. You gather your tools and begin tearing down walls, ripping up drywall, stripping it down to the studs, and throwing away the debris. Then, you gather materials and begin putting them in a larger frame, placing additional drywall, and stretching out farther on your plot of land. Until finally, you have expanded enough and made ample room for the baby. You are prepared for his arrival.

Like parents adding to their home in preparation for a baby, verse two paints a picture of what it is to prepare for the new thing God wants to do.  Isaiah described the edges of a tent being lifted and placed far beyond their original location. The cords that are used to tie the tent down must be given slack and stretched to their longest length. The stakes used to secure the tent are driven in the ground with more force to ensure the whole tent is stable and cannot be moved.

This illustration suggests to me that we cannot keep the status quo if we want to receive the new thing God has for us. It requires the reader to rearrange, tear down, or stretch. This concept can be applied to God’s people both physically and spiritually. Our response can be physical like renovating Champions worship center or expanding North Klein’s Kids and Adult building that are used to share the Gospel. And it can be spiritual, like opening our hearts and expanding our capacity for faith. Both allow us to make way for God to do what only He can do.

Lord, we thank you for the new work you always want to do.  Help our church welcome your work with excitement and expectation.  Please lead us faithfully as we enlarge, stretch, lengthen and strengthen.

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