Exodus 36:7 “…what they already had was more than enough to do all the work.”
Giving thanks in a season of Thanksgiving may or may not come easy. He has sustained us, provided and deserves to be given all of our thanks and praise. Even while we wait on God to answer our prayers, I am deciding to keep on thanking and praising Him for all that He has done in the past and all that He will do in the future.
I give God my praise, my thanks, my concerns, my heartbreak, my stress, my disappointments, my victories and my what ifs. He has shown His unfailing love to me so it is my desire to speak and write thanks to God.
In our current season of applying to universities and waiting, I am learning to give Him my praise and thanks and to expect Him to open the right doors of opportunities for my child. He has a grand plan for each step that she will take on a college campus and on the major for which He has designed her. I am trusting Him to take what my husband and I have brought to Him, our dedication of our child to Him, our thanks for the miracle of life and praise for His Provision and Character, and to build the future for my child that only He can design.
The Bible gives us a visual on how God works regarding what people gave to Him. Consider how God provided for His multi-million dollar Sanctuary dream in Exodus. He arranged the details of materials and gifted people in the building of the Sanctuary. After Moses spent sacred time with the LORD on Mount Sinai, he assembled the Israelite community and shared the materials/needs list with them which would be needed to create the Sanctuary in Exodus 35: 5-9.
God told them what was needed and commanded those who were willing to bring the materials so that work could begin on the Sanctuary. The people whose hearts were stirred and willing brought what they had as an offering to the LORD. They willingly brought the materials so that they could build a Holy Place in which His Presence would dwell. He already knew how his Holy Place would look so these materials would be used specifically. In addition, he had given skills to tradespeople who would use the materials to build the sanctuary to the exact specifications.
Eventually, the workers told Moses that what they had was more than enough to do all of the work. God’s pattern was to provide so that His Presence would be welcomed and potential outcomes became possible.
When I see how God supplied the need to build a Sanctuary for His Presence to dwell, I notice God’s pattern and provision in planning. If he provided more than enough back then, I am confident that he will keep providing today for us. As a Believer in Christ, we are the Temple of the living God so he cares about how our lives are planned and how provision is implemented.
In the building of the Sanctuary, it was the people’s obedience that paved the way for the work that lay ahead. In our lives, as we bring our will and resources to Him, He sees the building blocks to craft his dream for us and our children. Obedience opens our Father’s opportunity preparing us for His Best Plan!
Those who were willing decided to bring what they had and it made all the difference in accomplishing the purpose of God. He wants us to also bring what we have to Him because it really matters. He wants our heartbreak, the gut wrenching groans, the tear stained face. He knows that as we give what we have, even giving our brokenness to Him, He takes it and uses it in the journey toward healing. It matters what we share with God. He will provide a sense of help, wholeness and restoration when we have welcomed Him and given Him our truth.
I may not feel that I have a lot to give, but I choose to give Him my thanks for all that He has done in my life. Make no mistake, I need to thank and praise Him so much more, but know that when I have stopped to give Him what I have, even if it was my thanks on hard days, I have experienced His presence and witnessed His building of my spirit when it was torn down.
I can trust God to move mightily and provide more than enough to see me through difficult moments. The people in Exodus couldn’t see the finished Sanctuary when they were bringing their supplies to the builders, but they had faith in the ones who could bring a dream to a reality. I also have full faith in God to take my thanks and build His vision for my future and for the future of my family.
What will you decide to give to God in this season? All I know is that when you make the decision to bring and offer what you have, He takes care of building His vision for your life. Make no mistake, the God who used what the people brought to Him in Exodus, is the same God who is using what people today offer back to Him. He is our Provision, our Protector and our Peace Maker.
My Prayer Today:
Father,
I praise you for your unfailing love. Your gift on the cross has redeemed my life and given a lifetime of grace. I appreciate you and honor you with my life and words.
I love that you show us stories of how you acted mightily on the behalf of your people throughout the Bible. Your pattern is to provide so that your Presence will be welcomed. Potential outcomes become possible because of your plan. Lord Jesus, I offer up praise and thanks as a mom who wants your Holy Spirit to walk with my children every day of their lives and to open the right doors for them.
I will admit, the waiting on the college acceptance letters and wondering how it will be paid for is consuming my thoughts. Please, Lord Jesus, allow your peace to stand at guard around our hearts and minds as we wait on you. We have dedicated our child back to you and honored you by teaching her your Word both at home, in the car and at church. I know that you are working and helping her see that the next year will be a new beginning as she begins college. Please help her to make the best choice and provide for every single need that we will have. You make streams in the desert. I know you are a good God, giving good gifts to your children. I just ask now that in the strong and mighty name of Jesus, you will guide us into all truth and provide for her as you unfold your perfect plan.
We don’t deserve it, but still you are so good to us. I thank you and praise you for the way you provided in the building of your Sanctuary. Many people used their talents to build it and others brought what they had so it could be built. We are giving you what we have, our praise, our thanks and our requests, so you can open the doors into the future for our child. We welcome your Presence so that potential outcomes can be revealed in your timing.
And, Father. Help this Momma’s heart. As we’ve visited Universities in the past year, my heart leaps for joy over the college life that awaits our child while also making me feel a bit uneasy. Help me to not be upset or anxious. I give those kinds of thoughts to you now. I praise you and thank you for helping us as parents and for helping our child. Now, please stand at guard around our hearts and mind so that your peace that transcends all understanding will protect us.
It is in the strong and mighty name of Jesus that I pray.
