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Isaiah 54:2, 3 Enlarge the place of Thy tent and the
curtain of Thine Habitation, spare not lengthen Thy cords
and strengthen Thy stakes, for Thou shall break forth on
the right hand and the left...
I had been studying the book by Andrew
Murray “Abiding In Christ”. This was in a major effort to
learn to rest in the fact that it is His responsibility to
grow the fruit; my responsibility was to abide in the vine
and distribute the fruit. While reading this book, ”Isa
54:2-3” came to my heart again. It seems that every time I
turn around God calls me to enlarge my tent –to stretch
out in every area of my life.
I began to think of the scripture "Christ in
us the hope of glory". Exodus 40:34 says the cloud covered
the tent of meeting and the Glory of the Lord filled the
glory tabernacle. When the glory of God filled the temple
under the old covenant, only the priest could go in. Just
think, under the new covenant, Christ enters into our tent
(tabernacle) in all His glory. It becomes our own private
“Secret Place”.
As I meditated on all these things, I began to see the
following vision or picture.
Each is a tent made of colorful yet plain
cloth. Throughout the years, the tent becomes faded,
tattered, torn, and perhaps even wrinkled or dry from
being folded or put away.
Christ comes to bring life to our neglected tent …a
beautiful tapestry waiting for the Master’s touch. As we
begin to abide together… as fine golden thread, He begins
to weave His character and nature into us …until our
entire personalities, hopes, dream, and aspirations become
hidden in Him. The tatters, tears, and wrinkles begin to
diminish …eventually they will no longer be visible.
His presence begins to provoke change; it
begins to purge us. We become white as snow, and yet our
distinct uniqueness lingers in greater splendor...more
enriched …more radiant than ever before. In all His
grandeur, with thick cords of loving kindness He works in
and through us …knitting and uniting with us until; with
we are totally encased and veiled in Him.
He becomes our covering, borders, and
boundaries. His strength –enables us to stretch forth and
enlarge our tents, and lengthen our cords. If we have
broken up the fallow ground, the stakes can be driven
deep. He has reinforced our cords so that they can be
stretched. He stretches us out into areas that we never
could have dreamed, because it is no longer us, but Christ
in us –the Christ who had the Spirit without measure.
Glenda Wilson © 1997
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