Where have you pitched your tent? In the land of bitterness? By the cliffs of temptation? In the graveyard of unforgiveness? In the courts of opinion? In the valley of worry? In the caves of fear? In the prison of offense? On the altar of idolatry? Are your pegs perhaps buried in a clutter-filled mess of confusion? Tangled in a chaotic web of lies or lousy stewardship? Could they have been tossed into the sea of spiritual complacency?
Friends, there is a better place to pitch your tent! Read this phrase translation and notice where David pitched his tent. He has driven his tent pegs firmly in the land of hope. Hope has a name… it’s Jesus!
The pegs that nailed Christ to the cross were no match for the ones who manipulated the system and crucified my Lord. They served a higher purpose. As if Jesus couldn’t have called legions of angels down and, with a loud shout, dismantled the weak authority that held him there!
When I consider the nails used to crucify my Savior that left scars on His hands and feet, I see tent pegs. Yes, the tent pegs that once held me in places of bondage. The tent pegs were too far deep for me to pull up. Buried for 3 days, he defeated the depths of sin that kept us apart. Slain from the foundations of the world, it was always His plan: His people with Him where He is.
What sense does it make to shout accusations at those around us if our Savior was silent? The blood speaks louder than accusation. It cries out. It breaks the cords of injustice and sets the oppressed free, using forgiveness to do so. It finds us in our lost, desolate lands of despair. It calls and invites us to dwell in a land of hope.
I have been called to and chosen. Chosen by my yes. It hurt to let Him pull my life pegs up from the grave. But it would have hurt so much more to stay there.
Where have you pitched your tent? Look around you, search your heart. The freedom, peace, and joy I have found can also be yours. That’s good news! Love is waiting to fully embrace you. It’s calling you out of those places that keep you from dwelling in absolute freedom, only found in the truth of God’s Word. How will you respond? Will you join me with an ecstatic yes? Surrender your life to Christ and be raised with Him in new life today.
Verses 38-38 share how to respond: “Change your life. Turn to God and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, so your sins are forgiven. Receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is targeted to you and your children, but also to all who are far away-whomever the Master invites.”
I hope you’ll join me in the land of hope.
