Exodus 25:1-8 - The LORD said to Moses, "Speak
to the people of Israel, that they take for me an offering; from every man
whose heart makes him willing you shall receive the offering for me. And
this is the offering which you shall receive from them: gold, silver, and
bronze, blue and purple and scarlet stuff and fine twined linen,
goats' hair, tanned rams' skins, goatskins, acacia wood, oil
for the lamps, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, onyx
stones, and stones for setting, for the ephod and for the breastpiece. And
let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst.
After Moses had heard all of the commands of God to give to
the people…God gave Moses one other instruction. God told Moses to tell the people of Israel to
bring him an offering….and offering from all that they had received from the
people of Egypt…the gold and precious metals…the best of their animal skins…oils
and fragrant incense….and precious stones.
They were to bring what their hearts desired…whatever they wanted too…so
they could build God a holy place…a house…so he could dwell with them.
God isn’t satisfied with watching us from above…he wants to
live among us….and dwell in our midst. And so he gave Moses instructions to have the
people bring an offering to him….knowing that each small piece brought by one
family…would provide more than they needed to build him a grand tent…a holy
tent…so he could live right there in the middle of the camp….where they could
all come worship him. This would be God’s house…a holy sanctuary…a place built
with his instructions…and the love of the people he had chosen for his own.
God wanted a permanent place for them to place his rules….so
he gave them instructions for an ornate box of gold and acacia wood…a grand table
inlayed with precious gold for his bread…and a pure gold candle stick to
provide a steady light as they learned to follow God and make him more than
just a presence that spoke to Moses from a cloud. God wanted a relationship
with all of them…so he instructed them to build his house in the midst of them.
God stills wants a personal relationship with us all…he
still asks us to bring the best of what he gave us to his feet. He wants us to
give back to him the most precious things that he blessed us with…so he can
abide with us. He wants us to channel his love through his body of believers…to
gather for worship…to bring him the best of the money he blessed us with… the time
he allows us to spend on his Earth … and all the other resources he placed in
us all….so that he may use us..use our blessings to bless others with his love.
And even as I feel his presence strongly when I go into his
sanctuary…that precious building where I gather with others to sing hymns…fellowship
and pray…worship and listen to his word….I also feel him very much at home….and
everywhere I find my feet taking me each day. I feel him the greatest when I am on my knees…and
he guides my thoughts each morning as I write…because God is not hidden by a
veil any more…the light of that lamp reflects his holy face everywhere I go.
And if I let him…even my own life can be a mirror of that sweet light.
Oh father…I thank you that you allowed Moses to show us how
to bring our offerings to the Lord…so he can use them to build a great network
of resources…to use to tell others about your great love. Take all that I have been given…I give it all
back to you…to use the way you need. Show me Lord exactly what to do with every
penny you allow me to make. Show me Lord
how to spend every minute of my day with you…working to bring all the lost and
dying people to know your great love. Allow me to bask in the light of your love and
eat of your great table as long as I live. Amen.
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