Devotion:
Read Exodus 35:20-29; 36:2-7.
I love this story! The people understood that their building the tabernacle to provide a place for worship was God’s will. They caught the vision that it was a communal or group project, yet they each saw it as an individual call to give what they could. We see how each of them realized they had something of value that could be part of the tabernacle, and they brought it eagerly and happily. Some had skills for building, and they came together and went to work, using the articles brought by the people. My favorite part comes at the end when the people just kept right on bringing things until the skilled workers realized they had more than enough materials for building the tabernacle. So, the people were ordered to stop bringing their offerings of materials and were “restrained from bringing more.”
Our congregation is a generous one, always giving in special offerings but also generous in regular, committed giving to the church and its ministries. Giving to our building fund has reminded me of this story, and I have longed for the time when, like Moses, we say, “Stop! We have enough!”
Personal Worship Option:
Give thanks today for the things we have that can be our offerings to God… time, skills, money, and so on. Ask how those things might be used by the church to do God’s work and give thanks as our ministries grow and we reach more people for Christ.
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