Within the Camp

Deut. 23:14

"Because the Lord your God walks in the midst of your camp, to deliver you and to give up your enemies before you, therefore your camp must be holy, so that He may not see anything indecent among you and turn away from you."

The Israelites had to go outside the camp if they were unclean. While there, they even had to dig a hole to cover their bodily refuse. It all had to be done cleanly and carefully. Was sanitation the primary concern? No, but sanitation did result. The primary concern was that the Lord dwelled in their midst so He could deliver them by giving up their enemies. Where the Lord was, there had to be holiness!

'Within the camp' brings to mind dwelling and abiding. Likewise, standards of holiness must characterize my camp as well because the Holy Spirit dwells within me to deliver me by giving up my enemy, Satan. Where God dwells, there must be holiness! Thankfully, my holiness comes through the blood of Jesus. It is the only way that God can view me as holy. I must be covered with His blood and constantly cleansed through the washing of the word and confession of sin. If I confess, He is faithful and just to forgive. "Abide in me and I in you. As the branch can't bear fruit of itself, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, and you are the branches. He it is who abides in me and I in Him, He it is that bears much fruit for apart from me you can do nothing." It is impossible to keep my camp holy apart from Him, His power, and His grace. But amazingly, all that I need is a gift from Him. Holiness is all of His grace and His power! Through Him my camp can be clean and holy within!

Father,

Keep me constantly abiding in Jesus and confessing the sin which clings so closely. Help me to lay aside every weight that I might look to Jesus and run the race with endurance.

In Jesus name,

Amen