Make Room for the Stretch
“Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes.”
Isaiah 54:2 (NIV)
Following yesterday's reflection on singing from a barren place before the miracle comes, the next instruction God gives the Israelites —and us — is to start stretching and preparing in faith.
Isaiah 54:2 is a prophetic instruction for us to make room for what God is about to do. It's a promise filled with vivid and ancient imagery that meant a great deal to the original hearers. To understand what God is saying, we have to go back to the wilderness, where tents were the way of life.
In Ancient Israel, the word tent in Hebrew, ʾōhel (אוֹהֶל) (Strong's H168), had more than one meaning. It referred to a nomadic dwelling, which was a portable home made from goat hair, poles, and pegs. It could also be used to describe the Tabernacle, which was God's sacred dwelling, also known as the tent of meeting (Exodus 33:7). Lastly, it symbolized family, presence, protection, and worship.
Tents were not permanent structures. They could be taken down, moved, expanded, or reinforced depending on what the people needed or where God was leading them. In those days, when you enlarged your tent, it meant preparing for more people, greater provision, or a significant shift.
And in Isaiah 54, that’s exactly what God is announcing:
“Get ready because what is coming will require more space than what you've been living in.”
Let’s break down the verse phrase by phrase:
"Enlarge the place of your tent."
This speaks to increasing capacity; it's God saying to us, 'Your current structure, your mindset, your expectations, and your plans are too small for what I'm about to do.'
It mirrors the promise made in Isaiah 49:20, where children born during Israel’s bereavement would say:
“This place is too small for us; give us more space to live in.”
At that time, Israel thought exile was the end, but God was instructing them to prepare for expansion.
Sometimes, we shrink our lives to fit our pain. We downsize our faith to match what we've lost. But God is telling us to enlarge because when God restores, He doesn't return you to where you were; He gives you more than you lost.
"Stretch out the curtains of your dwellings."
In ancient tents, curtains formed the walls and roof, made from animal skins or heavy cloth. Stretching them meant extending the boundary, making space for more people to live under your covering. This was physical labor that required help since the tents didn't stretch themselves.
In Exodus 26 and 36:8-19, we see how sacred and specific this imagery was. God gave Moses detailed instructions for the construction of the Tabernacle's curtains: "Make the tabernacle with ten curtains of finely twisted linen and blue, purple and scarlet yarn, with cherubim woven into them by a skilled worker" (Exodus 26:1). These curtains were to be joined together with loops and gold clasps so that "the tabernacle was a unit" (v.6). In Exodus 36:8–19, we see the instructions fulfilled. Curtain after curtain was crafted, joined, and layered with precision. Goat hair formed the outer layer; ram skins dyed red, and sea cow hides served as coverings. Everything was connected with cords and fastened with tent pegs (Exodus 35:18, 39:40), anchoring the sacred space to the earth beneath it.
So when God tells Zion to stretch her curtains, He is calling her to rebuild, as His presence is coming. It's about re-sanctifying what once felt forsaken and treating the tent as a space where God is invited to dwell again. The desolate place was about to become sacred again, not because the ground had changed but because God had declared it worthy of expansion.
“Do not spare” / “Do not hold back”
This part hits home for me because, after pain or disappointment, we are tempted to play it safe. We tend to budget our dreams, scale down our faith, and essentially hold back because we are afraid to hope too boldly again.
But here, God interrupts our fear by telling us not to be stingy with our preparation. When the Israelites built the Tabernacle, they gave freely and generously (Exodus 36:5-7). So much so that Moses had to tell them to stop bringing offerings—they had more than enough. So if mere mortals could give freely, then what about your generous, kind Father who loves you deeply? That same kind of bold generosity is what God is calling us to concerning our vision.
We need to believe beyond our last loss because God isn't on a budget!
"Lengthen your cords."
In both household tents and the Tabernacle, cords (strings or ropes) were what held everything together. They connected the curtains to the stakes and stabilized the entire structure.
In Exodus 35:18 and 39:40, cords were part of the detailed inventory of the Tabernacle. Nothing was arbitrary, and every rope had a purpose.
So what does it mean to "lengthen" said cords? It means that your reach is about to expand.
You're not just making more room; you're anchoring your hope into new territory. Longer cords often required more intentionality, more support, and a broader vision.
God is simply saying, “Where I’m sending you will stretch you, so prepare for the pull.”
"Strengthen your stakes."
Stakes were driven into the ground to hold the tent in place, especially in high winds or unstable terrain. When we apply this practically, in seasons of growth, our foundation must go deeper, not just wider; that is, the taller the tent, the deeper the stake.
God is saying:
“Don’t just get excited about what I’m doing. Get grounded in Me.”
It's a call to deepen your prayer life, scripture engagement, and community roots so that when growth comes, you won't collapse under its weight.
So, in a nutshell, Isaiah 54:2
Is about responding to the promise in Isaiah 54:1 with faith-fueled preparation. It's not enough to just sing about what's coming; you have to stretch and build for it. And the way you build matters. The Tabernacle wasn't thrown together; it was carefully crafted because it was to house the presence of God. So is your life.
Reflection Questions
Where have I been living small because of disappointment or fear?
What would it look like for me to “enlarge my tent” in this season?
Are there areas of my life where I'm holding back instead of taking bold action?
How can I strengthen my stakes spiritually—through prayer, community, or the Word?
Am I building my life like someone who expects God to dwell in it?
Your past may have taught you to shrink, but your future is calling you to stretch.
Don't hold back, don't spare, and make room because the barren season is breaking.
And the space you prepare today is the space God will fill tomorrow.
