Generous Gifts

SCRIPTURE

Exodus 35:1-29 (NRSV)
Offerings for the tent of meeting

Moses assembled all the congregation of the Israelites and said to them: These are the things that the Lord has commanded you to do:

Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day you shall have a holy sabbath of solemn rest to the Lord; whoever does any work on it shall be put to death. You shall kindle no fire in all your dwellings on the sabbath day.

Moses said to all the congregation of the Israelites: This is the thing that the Lord has commanded: Take from among you an offering to the Lord; let whoever is of a generous heart bring the Lord's offering: gold, silver, and bronze; blue, purple, and crimson yarns, and fine linen; goats' hair, tanned rams' skins, and fine leather; acacia wood, oil for the light, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, and onyx stones and gems to be set in the ephod and the breastpiece.

All who are skillful among you shall come and make all that the Lord has commanded: the tabernacle, its tent and its covering, its clasps and its frames, its bars, its pillars, and its bases; the ark with its poles, the mercy seat, and the curtain for the screen; the table with its poles and all its utensils, and the bread of the Presence; the lampstand also for the light, with its utensils and its lamps, and the oil for the light; and the altar of incense, with its poles, and the anointing oil and the fragrant incense, and the screen for the entrance, the entrance of the tabernacle; the altar of burnt offering, with its grating of bronze, its poles, and all its utensils, the basin with its stand; the hangings of the court, its pillars and its bases, and the screen for the gate of the court; the pegs of the tabernacle and the pegs of the court, and their cords; the finely worked vestments for ministering in the holy place, the holy vestments for the priest Aaron, and the vestments of his sons, for their service as priests.

Then all the congregation of the Israelites withdrew from the presence of Moses. And they came, everyone whose heart was stirred, and everyone whose spirit was willing, and brought the Lord's offering to be used for the tent of meeting, and for all its service, and for the sacred vestments. So they came, both men and women; all who were of a willing heart brought brooches and earrings and signet rings and pendants, all sorts of gold objects, everyone bringing an offering of gold to the Lord. And everyone who possessed blue or purple or crimson yarn or fine linen or goats' hair or tanned rams' skins or fine leather, brought them. Everyone who could make an offering of silver or bronze brought it as the Lord's offering; and everyone who possessed acacia wood of any use in the work, brought it. All the skillful women spun with their hands, and brought what they had spun in blue and purple and crimson yarns and fine linen; all the women whose hearts moved them to use their skill spun the goats' hair. And the leaders brought onyx stones and gems to be set in the ephod and the breastpiece, and spices and oil for the light, and for the anointing oil, and for the fragrant incense. All the Israelite men and women whose hearts made them willing to bring anything for the work that the Lord had commanded by Moses to be done, brought it as a freewill offering to the Lord.


DEVOTION

Hallelujah!

Today's scripture reading stirs my heart because it shows the wonderful things that God can do with cheerful givers!

The Bible says that those who were generous and who's hearts were stirred and who's spirits were willing came and brought a liberal offering to the Lord!

As a result of their sacrificial offering, the Israelites were able to carry out the commandments of God, creating a dwelling place for God on earth and with people.

It pains me that sometimes people think that the only reason churches take offerings is to line the pockets of the pastor.

This is not so my friends! God commands the offering so that we can take care of the physical plant (the church building) and carry out the work of ministry--feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked, housing the homeless, visiting the sick and imprisoned, and caring for widows and orphans.

Although there have been some terrible instances of abuse by religious leaders, it is not the norm!

As Christians, we get to pool our resources on Sunday morning to advance the Kingdom of Love and to share the good news message that God loves us so much that God gave Jesus to die on the cross to save us from our sin and gift us with eternal life.

It is an incredible honor to return a portion of all that God has entrusted to us for the work of The Church.

In my tradition we say, "God loves a cheerful giver!" May we ever be a people who joyfully, cheerfully, liberally, and generously invest in God's work on earth as we use our time, talent, and treasure to declare that Jesus saves and He saves to the utmost!


Won't you pray with me?

Holy God, I want to be like the Israelites who generously and willingly gave in order to take care of your "house." Please give me the heart of a cheerful giver so that I will liberally share of my time, talent, and treasure with your Church. I love you and I want to share your love with others. I pray this in Jesus' Name, Amen.


INVITATION

If you have questions about how to become a friend and follower of Jesus, please see the devotion entitled, “Come to Jesus” @

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