Upsizing

Daily Reading: Isaiah 54

Scripture Focus: 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)

Devotional Thought: For ten years, Lana and I lived in a 3 BR home with a finished basement on 5 acres.  So, when it was time to move to South Carolina, we planned to "downsize."  That didn't happen!  Though we have considerably less "acreage", we actually have slightly more square footage of finished area in our home.  We decided we needed more space for when the grandkids came to visit!

In Isaiah 54, God's people thought they were facing downsizing, but God said, "No!  I want you to 'enlarge the place of your tent... do not hold back; lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes.'"

I believe that message is still relevant for the people of God - even in today's cultural climate!  We may be tempted to "circle the wagons", so to speak, but God is saying, "Do not hold back"...

·       Enlarge the place of your tent.  Christianity needs a larger footprint on our culture, not smaller.  Like Abraham of old, we need to "walk the land" and claim our possession.

·       Stretch out your curtains.  The curtains represented the tents themselves.  Until recent years, political parties happily claimed "big tents."  The church needs to be a "big tent", too.  Like Jesus, we welcome people different from us whose lives can be redeemed by the God of the universe.

·       Lengthen your cords.  The longer the cords, the higher the tent poles!  The higher the tent poles, the more visible they are.  In these uncertain times, let us lift Jesus higher and higher!

·       Strengthen your stakes.  Stronger stakes mean larger tents!  When we are growing out and up, we must not neglect growing down.  "Deeper, deeper in the love of Jesus!"

Are you upsizing or downsizing spiritually?

Prayer: Lord God, grant me the vision and confidence to enlarge the place of my tent, to stretch out my curtains, to lengthen my cords, and to strengthen my stakes.  In Jesus' name, for his glory!  Amen!

Psalm of the Day: Psalm 90.7-12

7 For we are brought to an end by your anger; by your wrath we are dismayed.

8 You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence.

9 For all our days pass away under your wrath; we bring our years to an end like a sigh.

10 The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away.

11 Who considers the power of your anger, and your wrath according to the fear of you?

12 So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.