Two days ago, the Lord took me to Isaiah 54. I had just read Isaiah 53 and remembered witnessing in Israel the power of this scripture to the Jew who believes Yeshua (Jesus) as Messiah. Yet again I was struck how no word of God returns void. He took me on to the next chapter. Verse 2 caught the attention of my spirit as the Lord seeded his truth.
“Enlarge the place of your tent and let them stretch forth the curtains of your habitations, spare not; lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes.”
The word ‘enlarge’ echoed through my spirit. The hebrew word here is “rachab” meaning to broaden, make room. Amazing how we human beings love to settle around a truth, an experience, a place, or a people. But God’s heart is to bring us to maturity. Enlargement is part of this process. It’s naturally what happens to the human body as it grows; as my son’s recent growth spurt testifies! Enlarge! God only says this when we have filled the space that he created for us in that season. Movement is so central to his character. It relates to his creativity. He wants us to know him, to know another aspect of his heart, his nature and of our relationship with Him. Enlarge!
Trying to absord this, his teaching moved me on. It was the last word he then impressed upon me; “stakes”. Stakes are the very things that hold a tent in place so it can stand and protect as the weather passes by. They help to define the shape and size of the tent and to make it usable. I sensed the Father reaffirm some of my stakes. Stakes like not speaking a bad word… especially about his people, his bride; continuing to walk by his spirit not by what we know.
What are the stakes he is re-affiming or as Isaiah says ‘strengthening’? Let him strengthen your stakes, and let him enlarge your tent!
The journey continues.