I have a couple of friends that are really into camping. I confess, being kind of ‘indoorsy,’ that I only enjoy it for a short time under rather specific circumstances. It’s hard to imagine even the most enthusiastic camper wanting to do it nonstop for 40 years. But the children of Israel had no choice.

It was a hallmark of those days that every nation had their own god. It wasn’t unusual that Israel worshiped God, but that they proclaimed him to be the ONLY God. Throughout the Old Testament we see case after case where God showed himself to be the true God and other kings would say things like, “now we see that the God of Israel is the true God.”

Here’s an astonishing thing, though. While Israel later did build a temple for this one true God, during their traveling years, it was so important to God to be in their midst that he had them create a special tent, a tabernacle, so his presence would travel with them in a tangible way. The mercy seat of the ark of the covenant was a clear place where God’s presence dwelt. Even in the desert, God went with his people, to share in and guide their lives.

John 1:14 tells us that “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” The word for ‘dwelt’ there is ‘tabernacled,’ a clear reference to God’s presence with his people back in the desert travelling days. In Jesus, God came to share in our journey with us.

Even more amazing is that God now journeys in us. In John 14 and following, Jesus explains to the disciples that God will come to his people in the Holy Spirit and indwell them. In the person of the Holy Spirit he promises ‘never to leave us or forsake us’ in all of our journeying (Hebrews 13:5).

A few years ago, there was a popular song that said, ‘from a distance God is watching you.’ I always wanted to say “NO and NO and NO!” God does NOT watch us from a distance as we struggle. His desire and his provision has ALWAYS been to travel with his people. Thanks be to God!

“Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ within me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit, Christ when I stand…” Breastplate of Saint Patrick

Tracy Ainsworth