THE TENT
For He will hide me in His shelter in the day of trouble; He will conceal me under the cover of His tent; He will lift me high upon a rock.
Psalm 27:5 (ESV)
Look at all the Lord will do in this one verse! When trouble comes, He’ll hide you, conceal you and lift you high upon a rock, out of harm's reach. God’s Word is beautiful and comforting. And I love the illustration of a tent in this verse. It’s not a literal tent as we know it. Its meaning in scripture is God’s presence. In the Old Testament, the tent of meeting referred to the place where God met with Moses and the Israelites.
I love the promise that He will conceal me under the cover of His tent. It reminds me of family camping trips—first in a big tent, then upgrading to a trailer with AC! We had great times with camp neighbors—tubing, campfires, fish fries, and s’mores. One afternoon, a storm rolled in. Tent campers fled while we hunkered down in our trailer, hoping it would withstand the storm. The wind raged, leaves and branches pounded the sides—it felt like we might blow away!
When the storm finally settled, we stepped outside to find our trailer covered in leaves and the campsite in complete chaos. Before the tent campers returned, Dad, my brother and sisters, and I put one family’s tent back together. When we were done, it appeared that everything else had been ravaged except for their tent. I don’t think we ever told them what we did, so they must have thought theirs was the only tent protected through the storm.
I think that’s how it is being under the cover of God’s tent. Except under the cover of His tent, we do withstand the storm. God knew this world would bring us trouble, but He gives us shelter, protection and concealment. He is our Help and peace amidst the storm.
The New Living Translation says He will hide me in His sanctuary. The sanctuary is a holy place where God is present. The Hebrew word for sanctuary is miqdash, which means sacred place. How beautiful it is that God brings us closer to Himself when troubles come.
APPLICATION: Are you in the middle of a storm? Think about how God is drawing you close.
PRAYER: Lord, I’m so thankful for your Word, which promises that when life’s storms arise, You’ll conceal me under the cover of Your tent, bringing me closer to You. Amen.
“… Our Father in heaven…” Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
- What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
“… may Your name be kept holy.” Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
- What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
“May Your Kingdom come soon.” Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
- Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
“Give us today the food we need,” Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
- Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I’m around today?
“and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us” Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
- Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
“And don’t let us yield to temptation…” Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
- Is there anywhere I’m vulnerable to temptation?