Pitching Your Tent in the Land of Hope

Have you ever slept in a tent before? If you haven’t slept in a tent before you owe it to yourself and your kids to try it.

Growing up, most of our vacations centered around camping, and in my youngest memories, tent camping. Eventually our family migrated towards a camper. Vacation camping wasn’t a foreign concept to me…but it was to my wife.

The first year of our marriage we were excited to take our first vacation together. We thought we would go to the Smokey Mountains and visit the Biltmore. Naturally, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to expose my new bride to the joys of vacationing in a tent.

We had gotten a late start the first night so we stopped somewhere in Maggie Valley. When we pulled in we couldn’t really see the layout of the campground, but the good news was they had spots available.

I set up our tent on level ground. I made sure we wouldn’t be sleeping on rocks or sticks. It was perfect…until about 1am when we were woken by the worst sound ever! It sounded like a 747 firing a machine gun inside our tent! All. Night. Long. My wife yelled over the noise, “What in the world is that?!?”

It was the sound of a jake brake from every semi going down the mountain.

When morning finally came, I saw my huge mistake. What I had failed to notice in the dark was I set our tent up right next to the main road. No wonder they had spots available! The scenic mountain I thought we were camping next to had a road on it. Every trucker using the road chose to let their exhaust slow the truck and saved their brakes for the rest of the Smokey Mountains.

We had an entire weekend of tent camping planned and it wasn’t off to a good start.

After our day visiting the Biltmore I took my wife to our next camping spot, but by this time it was pouring rain. She was one sad puppy as she looked at our big mud puddle for the night. I wasn’t winning any points for husband of the year with my new bride. It didn’t help we had just seen the 250 room 125,000 acre estate Mr. Vanderbilt provided for his new bride and all I was offering was a soggy sleeping bag.

It matters where you pitch your tent. It determines whether you’ll get a good night’s sleep and maybe even if you’ll stay married!

There is a wonderful picture given about tents in Acts 2. Peter is quoting a Psalm of David, “I’ve pitched my tent in the land of hope.” (Acts 2:26 MSG)

Is that where your tent is pitched? Are you camping in the land of hope? Or have you set up in the land of despair, doubt, and fear?

Wherever you pitch your tent will determine how you sleep.

If you’re tossing, turning, and worried, you aren’t in the land of hope. When you live in the land of hope you rest in the fact that God is a good Father who loves you and has the ability to bring good out of anything. You believe that goodness and mercy will follow you all the days of your life.

Living in the land of hope doesn’t mean that only goodness happens to you, but that what does come your way isn’t the end of the story. You don’t have to be afraid. Over and over again in the New Testament we are encouraged… “Don’t be afraid.”

But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!” –Matthew 14:27

Then Jesus came over and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” –Matthew 17:7

But Jesus overheard them and said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid. Just have faith.” – Mark 5:36

They were all terrified when they saw him. But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage! I am here!” –Mark 6:50

But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John.” –Luke 1:13

“Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God!” – Luke 1:30

But the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. –Luke 2:10

His partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were also amazed. Jesus replied to Simon, “Don’t be afraid! From now on you’ll be fishing for people!” –Luke 5:10

“Dear friends, don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot do any more to you after that.” –Luke 12:4

And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows. –Luke 12:7

“So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.” – Luke 12:32

“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” –John 14:27

When I saw him, I fell at his feet as if I were dead. But he laid his right hand on me and said, “Don’t be afraid! I am the First and the Last”. –Revelation 1:17

Why do we have to be told not to be afraid? Because we are! Our fears sound like a jake brake cranked up to 11.

God doesn’t want you to camp there. He wants you to set up your tent by quiet waters. He wants you to trust that the Good Shepherd is watching over you with a rod and a staff.

It’s easy to pitch your tent in the wrong place. You’re tired. It’s been a long journey and any spot to lay your head looks “good enough.” There will always be available spots in the land of despair, but don’t settle.

Maybe from where you are the land of hope looks a long way off. What if you just pitched your tent toward hope? Sometimes that’s enough. As long as you keep your eyes on the land of hope its warmth will keep drawing you closer and closer.

If you keep your tent pointed toward despair, doubt, and fear, you’ll never find rest.

What I hope you ask yourself today is, “Where have I pitched my tent?”

We all have our tent somewhere. Some people have theirs in the land of hope and that’s where I want you to be!

Don’t miss this…You have a choice where you set up your tent. It’s a decision only you can make.

After seeing the hopelessness in my wife’s face, I asked her if it would be okay if we stayed in a hotel. You would have thought we just inherited the Biltmore!