“Whenever the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle, after that the children of Israel would journey; and in the place where the cloud settled, there the children of Israel would pitch their tents."
Numbers 9:17 (emphasis added)
The many miracles of deliverance from Egypt, the Red Sea, and the Egyptian army, in addition to God personally writing the Ten Commandments, were never enough to stop the Hebrews from complaining. The murmuring throughout the Israelite camp had risen to a cadence similar to that of the summer sound of cicadas. They just wouldn’t let go of their negativity. Instead, they drove it deeper into their hearts.
With great patience, God loved His whining people. Even in the midst of their grumbling, He cared for them. They had leadership by day and light by night. They always had what they needed, including reprimands. Sometimes their personal desires went unfulfilled. Nevertheless, God never failed to show them where to pitch their tents.
The Lord directed the Israelites in all their travels through the wilderness. When it was for the good of the people and the glory of God that they should pitch their tents in a certain place and there abide, God signified His will to them by the pillar of cloud resting low directly over the tabernacle. And there it remained until God would have them journey again. Then the cloud of glory was lifted up high above the tabernacle, and then they journeyed again.1
Camping? Really?
For decades, my idea of camping was a bad hotel room—it still is. However, the time came that God needed to begin to prepare me for the hard things that are to come. He has a myriad of ways to tend to that business—and to think that I very nearly missed the miracle God had in store for me.
I was all set. A dear friend provided me with a tent—a large walk-in tent for ten people—a queen-sized inflatable mattress, mattress pad, etc. I thought I would be borrowing the set-up from something she already had, but no—everything was brand new. I would not be camping. I would be glamping, which is way better than a bad hotel room.
Five days before I was to leave, I fell into a puddle of tears. So many things were going wrong; it didn’t make sense in my mind to go, so I called everyone involved because I made the decision not to make the trip.
First, my car’s transmission had ruptured, and it was sitting at the shop waiting for attention. To me, the idea of asking someone to transport me to the camp meeting site in northeast Washington was beyond anything I was willing to ask of anyone. Second, I was having water-timer issues—my garden needed water.
I had counted on going to this camp meeting for months. I had not attended a whole camp meeting since I was a teenager. I wept as I decided not to go. My heart was broken. I didn’t know if God wanted me to attend or if it was selfishness on my part.
To attend a camp meeting in the woods—well, in my mind, nothing could be better. Besides, some presenters were people I knew, and they are well-known in church circles. Was that why I wanted to go—to reconnect with these people—or was it in God’s heart that I be there?
I begged God just to tell me. If I didn’t go, I would mourn the loss for only a season before moving on with life. If I endured the hardship of asking someone to go out of his or her way to take me, then I could speak of God’s graciousness.
Furthermore, attending would also mean that I would need to trust God with my garden. Imagine that—so little faith to think that God did not care about my veggies and flowers. He created the plants at the dawn of time, and He has done so much for me. Why did I think He didn’t know how to take care of the small plot of a raised bed and few grow bags?
Somehow, I began to think through things more reasonably. Some rain was in the forecast while I would be gone, so I didn’t need to worry about watering the garden. An added bonus was that the weather would be cooler. A kind friend had offered to drive me up there, so I had transportation.
Only after I made the decision to go did God confirm that I made the right choice. Another friend told me that somewhere she had read that farmers should go to camp meetings, and God would care for their crops. I still shed tears, but they were now of joy, not sorrow.
Pitching My Tent
Nearly a two-hour drive from home, my friend drove us into the campsite area. Where was I to put my tent? Where was I to get electricity? The sermons started on a Tuesday evening. When we arrived about 1:00 p.m., every spot near where I needed to be appeared to be full. I found out later that several people had driven up on Sunday with motorhomes, campers, etc. Tents, it seemed, were relegated to the backwoods. I prayed a quick prayer.
After the long drive, I needed to go to the ladies’ bathhouse. On my way there, I noticed a spot. Why wasn’t it already taken?
Still wondering why what looked to be the perfect spot wasn’t already filled, I walked back to the vehicle. I needed two things: 1) a place to pitch my tent (I had no idea how to do that), and 2) electricity. Near the restroom door, I noticed one available electrical hook-up. That was all I needed if my 75 feet of heavy-duty electrical cord would reach between the socket and a tent location.
Then I saw it! Along the camp road was a tree. It blocked a camper or RV from accessing the perfect place for a tent, AND the distance was perfect for the electrical cord. Just like the Israelites, God showed me where to pitch my tent.
How did the garden fair while I was gone? God watered it for me. When I returned home, it looked more like a jungle.
Call to Action
Looking back over all the places I have lived, from Virginia to Maine to Michigan to Washington State, and a few others, I can unequivocally say that God has always provided me with the living quarters I needed. None of them were on a grand scale, but they were what God knew was best. Often, they were where God needed me to reach a soul with truth.
What about you? Do you need a place
to camp, be it a hotel room of any kind, a house, a yurt, or even a bonafide
tent? Ask God to show you where He wants you, where He needs you. Trust in God.
He’ll provide the best for your needs and His glory. If you do, one day, God
will provide you with a mansion in heaven.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Emphasis supplied.
- Ellen G. White, The Story of Redemption (Washington, DC: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1947), 156.
