Free camp
by Shane Altmann
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There the Lord will be our Mighty One. It will be like a place of broad rivers and streams. No galley with oars will ride them, no mighty ship will sail them (Isaiah 33:21).
Read Isaiah 33:13–24
This reading from Isaiah 33 is all about our ultimate security being found in the Lord. He is the consuming fire to the wicked and a fortress to the righteous. He is a really cool camping spot for tent owners.
I love camping. I started with a small dome tent, then upgraded to a larger one when I had kids. As the kids grew, I moved on to a three-room tent, followed by a canvas trailer tent. Now, I have a fancy off-road hybrid that features a shower and a pull-out kitchen.
I am always seeking great places to camp. My family has a few spots. We love the Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast hinterlands. Places like Imbil or Canungra, and perhaps beach camping at Brunswick Heads or in the hills around Ravensbourne and Palmtree, north of Toowoomba. Line me up some water, crack me a stubby and light a fire. I am set.
It’s a timeless endeavour. Even three thousand-ish years ago, when this passage was written, the author knew how to identify a great camping experience, a really good tent next to a broad river or stream. That sublime joy and fulfilment is what God is preparing for us through his own redeeming work that brings us to righteousness. Fully catered, bread will be provided, water will not fail us and a peaceful abode where no one will say, ‘I am ill.’
We are reminded again, through this reading from Isaiah, that God is for us, on our side, doing great things for us now and preparing something so special for us next. He promises us great views from the mountain tops, not clinging to cliffs and ropes, but from a fortress, solid and secure, with sweeping views of his beauty and a fair land stretched out below us. How wonderful.
Lord of our future, God of hope, praise your holy name for all you have done for us through your Son, our Lord, Jesus. Thank you for bringing us to righteousness. It is your grace that saves us through the faith you have worked in our hearts. Bless us with good work and better rest as we live hope-filled lives in service of one another and those whom you put before us each day. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
Shane Altmann is the principal of Faith Lutheran College Redlands in Queensland and has served in education for more than 35 years. Married to Monica and father of two children, Harry and Zoe, Shane has learnt that he is largely helpless without the love and support of the people with whom he lives and works. A pilgrim of multiple Caminos de Santiago, a Penrith Panthers tragic and a restorer of old stuff, Shane loves a project and, when he is able, fills his days tinkering with something.
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