As a young boy, when our family went camping, I watched how my father set up our campsite. Everything had a place and purpose, from the stacking of firewood and the maintenance of the fire to the placement of cooking utensils and the disposal of our trash. Each item was put in the right place. My father’s ordering of our campsite made for an enjoyable camping experience. 

Reading some Old Testament books, we see they are filled with many rules and regulations that no longer apply to the Church in the New Testament. Some of what is written does carry over to the relationship with God at this covenant. The following verse is one such issue.

“The camp must be holy, for the Lord your God moves around in your camp to protect you and to defeat your enemies.” (Deuteronomy 23:14).

“THE CAMP MUST BE HOLY”

We no longer belong to specific camps. We are part of the global Church.  To live a holy life means we live as a forgiven people through the blood of Jesus. He made us a holy people when we began to follow Him. He always sees us as holy, and anything we do that would compromise our witness must be confronted in love and removed from our lives. If we don’t honestly look at our sin, we will live a hidden life and put ourselves in a place where the consequences of our sin will not just affect us. Our sins affect all who are in a relationship with us.

“GOD MOVES AROUND IN YOUR CAMP”

We can become like naïve children who think their sin will always remain hidden. When God moves among the various assemblies of the global Church, He is on a mission of discovery, seeking to discover what is keeping us spiritually unhealthy. Those discoveries are not always peaceful or joyful.  The Lord has a reason for bringing those discoveries to the surface. 

“TO PROTECT YOU AND TO DEFEAT YOUR ENEMIES”

The Lord’s discovery of sin in our “camp” has a two-fold purpose. He is protecting us by what He has revealed, and He is defeating our enemies. God will protect us when our lives are in disarray because of our repentance, and He will defeat the hidden issues in our souls that have become our spiritual enemies. 

We should never be afraid or dismayed when the Lord is ordering and reordering our “camp.” What He is doing will strengthen the Church and make her a more reliable and trustworthy witness to the world.