“Enlarge the place of your tent, and let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings; do not spare; Lengthen your cords, and strengthen your stakes.”
During the Feast of Tabernacles, God’s people celebrate the promised presence of our God with us in our “Tabernacles”. The Feast commemorates God’s presence, protection and provision for Israel when they were delivered out of the slavery of Egypt, while they were in the wilderness. The God who delivered them is also the God who would go with them, never leaving them to fend for themselves. The God who has promised them the Promise Land is the God who would ensure that they would succeed in inheriting it.
In celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles, Israel is asked to build booths to stay in. This is to remind them that their Faithful God, Loving Father has provided shelter and all their needs while they were in the wilderness. Even though they had not entered into Canaan yet, God was watching over them.
God promises in a Covenant with His people, restoration after they have acknowledged and repent of their sins. The Day of Atonement and the 10 Days of Awe prior to that gives us an opportunity to reflect upon our past year and seek God’s forgiveness over our sins. The Lord promises restoration of not only what was lost, but a return of abundance, multiplication of fruitfulness. That is the reason He asked His people “to enlarge the place of our tent, lengthen the cords”, to make room for the outpouring of His abundance!
The restoration in our lives and our abundance is closely connected to His Presence. As we anticipate this supernatural outpouring in this subsequent season, let us also “extend the cords of our Tabernacles”, to make room for His presence. Let us increase our worship of God in our daily life, consciously making Him the center of our lives, relationships, decision making and the object of our faith. Let us acknowledge Him more, thank Him more and trust Him more.
Whatever state and stage of your journey with the Lord, He is with you in this new season. He desires to “Tabernacle” in you. He has never left you, and He is not about to leave you. You are never alone, and you will never be alone if you allow Him into your life.
Let us desire Him more in this Hebrew year of 5779, as He desires to pour the “new” and “more” into us!