God Sized Plans
Scripture:
Exodus 38:24-29
"24 The people brought special offerings of gold totaling 2,193 pounds, as measured by the weight of the sanctuary shekel. This gold was used throughout the Tabernacle.
25 The whole community of Israel gave 7,545 pounds of silver, as measured by the weight of the sanctuary shekel. 26 This silver came from the tax collected from each man registered in the census... 29 The people also brought as special offerings 5,310 pounds of bronze..."
Observations:
The sheer amount of precious materials (stones, metals, etc.) used in the construction of the Tabernacle where God's presence dwelt among His people was no ordinary "tent". By the time it was all said and done, in our economy, the entire worship facility was worth well over $30 million!! And that was in the wilderness under the old covenant before they ever reached the promise land! What's even more interesting is that the bulk of the materials worth the most amount of money came from free will offerings while only a fraction came from taxes. The overwhelming majority of that building came from people who genuinely wanted to respond to God's instructions to build Him a place of worship. God had huge plans for His people from the moment He began to reveal Himself to them, plans that would ultimately lead them to possess the most valuable piece of real estate on earth, become the most powerful nation on earth, and produce the Messiah who would become the Savior of mankind!
Application:
God's plan for us is always bigger than we realize at the present time. While nothing God does is insignificant, the fulfillment of His plans for us will always be greater in the end than they were in the beginning. Jeremiah the prophet promised that God's plans for us are "for good not for evil, to prosper us not to harm us, and will give us a hope and a future." (29:11). The danger though is the temptation to stick with our own plans for us and miss out on God's better blueprints for our lives. The Israelites could have ignored God's command to build the Tabernacle and kept all their "stuff" for themselves; but instead they were obedient to God's instructions and they willingly sacrificed their own will to His, which opened the door to even greater blessings down the road.
Prayer:
Father, thank you for your plans for us individually and collectively as your very own people. We ask you to lead us into the center of your will today and to help us recognize your leading by following the instructions of your Word. Don't allow us to settle for anything less than your absolute best for our lives and to willingly give ourselves wholeheartedly to your purposes and plan for us. Amen.
Exodus 38:24-29
"24 The people brought special offerings of gold totaling 2,193 pounds, as measured by the weight of the sanctuary shekel. This gold was used throughout the Tabernacle.
25 The whole community of Israel gave 7,545 pounds of silver, as measured by the weight of the sanctuary shekel. 26 This silver came from the tax collected from each man registered in the census... 29 The people also brought as special offerings 5,310 pounds of bronze..."
Observations:
The sheer amount of precious materials (stones, metals, etc.) used in the construction of the Tabernacle where God's presence dwelt among His people was no ordinary "tent". By the time it was all said and done, in our economy, the entire worship facility was worth well over $30 million!! And that was in the wilderness under the old covenant before they ever reached the promise land! What's even more interesting is that the bulk of the materials worth the most amount of money came from free will offerings while only a fraction came from taxes. The overwhelming majority of that building came from people who genuinely wanted to respond to God's instructions to build Him a place of worship. God had huge plans for His people from the moment He began to reveal Himself to them, plans that would ultimately lead them to possess the most valuable piece of real estate on earth, become the most powerful nation on earth, and produce the Messiah who would become the Savior of mankind!
Application:
God's plan for us is always bigger than we realize at the present time. While nothing God does is insignificant, the fulfillment of His plans for us will always be greater in the end than they were in the beginning. Jeremiah the prophet promised that God's plans for us are "for good not for evil, to prosper us not to harm us, and will give us a hope and a future." (29:11). The danger though is the temptation to stick with our own plans for us and miss out on God's better blueprints for our lives. The Israelites could have ignored God's command to build the Tabernacle and kept all their "stuff" for themselves; but instead they were obedient to God's instructions and they willingly sacrificed their own will to His, which opened the door to even greater blessings down the road.
Prayer:
Father, thank you for your plans for us individually and collectively as your very own people. We ask you to lead us into the center of your will today and to help us recognize your leading by following the instructions of your Word. Don't allow us to settle for anything less than your absolute best for our lives and to willingly give ourselves wholeheartedly to your purposes and plan for us. Amen.
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