This mortal tent...

2 Corinthians 5:4
For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life.

When Paul speaks of "this tent" I wonder if the tabernacle came to the minds of the Jewish believers he was writing. The tabernacle was the temporary tent of meeting that the Israelites carried through the wilderness on their journey to the promised land (home) and a permanent Temple where God would dwell. It was not glorious by any stretch of the imagination. It only served its purpose; to provide a temporary and momentary connection with God. It was not meant to be clung to or elaborated. It was meant to remind Israel of the hope of a permanent home and a place where God would dwell with them forever. It was a shadow of the future glory that would be Solomon's Temple.
Similarly, our bodies are not glorious. These tents are temporary shells that provide momentary connections with God as we await our homecoming and a new body that will be eternally united with Him. To those whose hope is Jesus Christ, the disease, decay, dying and groaning that we experience in these tents are not swallowed up by death, but life. Therefore, these should not produce in us despair, but hope, knowing that each day and each trial bring us closer to home and eternal oneness with our creator, redeemer and friend.

Lord, fill me with hope of the promised land to come. Teach me to view each trial and struggle as a momentary reminder that I am not yet home... but will be. Help me to live each day with the promise of heaven and the joy of recreation in You. Amen.