Camping can be quite challenging. There’s preparation before you leave, dealing with uncomfortable conditions while camping, and then packing up and storing all your gear once you return. Despite these challenges, I enjoy camping. I think what I appreciate most is the difficulty of it all. It contrasts sharply with my everyday life, prompting me to pause and reflect on two important truths:
1. I am truly blessed.
2. I can endure anything for a short period of time.
Every aspect of camping poses more difficulties than living in a house. Meal preparation is harder, and even making a cup of coffee takes longer. Everything is dirty and uncomfortable. Yet this change from my everyday routine encourages reflection, preventing me from living on autopilot.
Leviticus 23:39-43 – “On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the produce of the land, you shall celebrate the feast of the LORD seven days. On the first day shall be a solemn rest, and on the eighth day shall be a solemn rest. 40 And you shall take on the first day the fruit of splendid trees, branches of palm trees and boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days. 41 You shall celebrate it as a feast to the LORD for seven days in the year. It is a statute forever throughout your generations; you shall celebrate it in the seventh month. 42 You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All native Israelites shall dwell in booths, 43 that your generations may know that I made the people of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.”
In Leviticus 23:39-43, we learn about the Feast of Sukkot (Booths, Tents, Tabernacles), which God instructed the Israelites to commemorate on the fifteenth day of the seventh month. Each year, they would remember the experience of living in temporary structures, recalling God’s provision throughout their journey. He provided them with manna and quail to eat, water to drink, and guided and protected them with pillars of smoke and fire. It was during Israel’s lowest moments that they had to rely on God the most, which reminds us how easily we can forget our dependence on Him and the gifts He provides.
God understands that life’s luxuries can make it easy to overlook His provisions. In our culture, it’s all too simple to go through life without reflecting on what God has done for us. For me, camping serves as a reminder of how God has taken care of me physically. However, it is equally important to reflect on the spiritual blessings God has bestowed upon us.
We could be living in filth and corruption, but through Jesus, we have access to the bread of life (John 6:33) and living water (John 4:14, 7:37), and He resides within us (Ephesians 3:17). Take some time in your life to acknowledge your blessings. You don’t necessarily have to go camping, but making some environmental adjustments can provide a fresh perspective. It’s easy to forget what God has done for us. While you may live in comfort and luxury, remember that our spiritual blessings far outweigh any material comforts. Thankfully, we no longer have to wander in tents.