Where are You Sleeping Tonight?

Have you ever gone camping and slept in a tent? When our kids were growing up, camping was our family activity. We really enjoyed it for several different reasons. We could get away, seemingly far away, and yet be within thirty miles from home. We could relax and never hear a phone ring or anyone knock on the door. It was inexpensive yet lots of fun. Most of all, we spent time together as a family.

I remember one of the first times we went camping. Everyone went to bed, all was quiet and I opened my eyes to see the shadow of someone standing right outside our tent. My heart raced! I was wishing I had thought to bring a gun! Then he moved away. I quietly got out of the sleeping bag, unzipped the tent and realized the man who was standing next to my tent was actually in another campsite a hundred feet or so away. He had just walked between the camp fire and our tent making it seem he was right there.

I was recently talking to someone and a passage of scripture came to my mind. It is the twenty-seventh Psalm. The psalmist speaks of the Lord being his light and salvation. There is no need to be afraid because we can depend on Him. No matter how great the enemy is that comes against me and even if I am surrounded, I don’t have to be afraid, I can keep my confidence in the Lord.

The part of this psalm that actually came to my mind is when the psalmist said that in the time of trouble God would hide him in His pavilion. It is my understanding the pavilion was the tent in which the king or captain of the army slept in when they were at war. It was placed in the center of the army’s encampment with the whole army surrounding it. If the enemy wanted to get to the king, they had to go through the whole army. Their chances of survival were very slim if they were to try this. Yet the chances of the king surviving were very great. The psalmist said in the time of trouble God would hide us in his pavilion. In the center of his protection!

Peter speaks of the child of God being a “peculiar people.” A lot of people like to use that to say it is ok for Christians to be weird because we are peculiar. That word doesn’t actually mean odd, strange or weird. What it actually means is to be set apart because of value. God looks upon us as being valuable to Him, as being special to Him so He sets us apart.

It goes a little further in its meaning to speak of being inside a circle of protection with God. He has surrounded us with His love and protection and as long as we remain within that circle nothing can get to us without His permission.

We read about a time when the Lord was meeting with the host of heaven. As they were conversing Satan came before the Lord also. God asked where he had been and Satan’s reply was he had been to and fro through the earth. The Lord knew what he was doing and asked him if he had considered God’s servant Job?

Satan said he had checked out Job but God was protecting Job so that Satan couldn’t get to him. God had great confidence in Job and allowed Satan to come against Job to prove the faithfulness of Job was because of devotion not just blessing. Satan returned a second time and a second time God allowed Satan to afflict Job.

You will notice in both cases God protected Job. In both cases Satan was unable to get close to Job. In both cases God limited the access Satan had to Job. Job was in the pavilion of God.

We often wonder why we deal with some of the things in life that we must deal with if God really loves us. There are more than one answer to these questions, however, let me try to keep it simple. One reason is sin, both our sins and the sins of others. The second reason is our imperfections. God allows things to happen in our lives to bring these imperfections to our attention so we can remove them from our lives, thus making us more like him.

Let me show you. When Job began his trial he was a righteous man. So much so that God brought him to the attention of Satan by saying, “Have you considered Job?” Job was so careful in his relationship with God and his family that he offered sacrifices for his children just in case they forgot to offer the sacrifices. Many times during the trial Job was firm with his assurance that he had not sinned. He was falsely accused by his friends of sinning, but he was firm in his innocence.

He even brought that to the attention of the Lord. He wanted to know why God was allowing this to happen to him. Yet in one place he actually answers his own question when he tells us that although he couldn’t find God, God knew where he was a when it was finished he would be purified as gold.

God finally lets Job know that although he is a righteous man God is still God. He asked Job where were you when I did all of this…? After Job and God have this discussion Job realizes he has stepped out of place and gives God the right to do what he desires in Jobs life. He actually forgives God.

God had been protecting Job, only allowing in just enough of the temptation and trial to help Job to realize his shortcoming. Not allowing enough to destroy him, but allowing enough to make him stronger if Job would seize the opportunity. Job forgave God! Job forgave his friends! As a result God tremendously blessed Job in his latter days more than his earlier days. I can’t help but think that is a spiritual blessing also.

So, my question is, “Where are you sleeping?” Have you allowed God to hide you in His pavilion? Are you sleeping in His tent? Are you in the protection of His love and mercy? Where do you run when you feel the enemy is surrounding you and trying to overwhelm you?

The servant came running to his master with a look of dismay! He is sure the end has come. He is sure it is all over now! He had just taken a look out the window and then out all of the windows and the sight was the same. They were completely surrounded by the enemy! It was surely a hopeless situation. However, that all changed when Elisha took him again to the window and he was now able to see the army of the Lord had surrounded the army of the enemy!

If we look at life and its situations through our natural eyes we will be overwhelmed. If we look at our mistakes which we have made and the results of those mistakes through natural eyes we will be overwhelmed. It is at this time that we need to run to his pavilion. It is at this time that we should allow God to surround us with his blessings of protection and love.

Where are you sleeping tonight? In a tent that is close to the fire of the enemy so that he can frighten you with his shadow? Will you sleep outside the protection of the power for God? Are you going to sleep in His pavilion, in His protection? Where are you sleeping tonight?

Just a Thought! God Bless