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Prepare Your Heart

To the best of your ability, get rid of all distractions. Take a few minutes to breathe deeply and quiet yourself in the Lord’s presence. Then, ask the Lord to speak to you in this time. Let Him know that you will listen and make whatever adjustments He will reveal to you.

Read God’s Word

Exodus 35:30-37:29
Matthew 25:1-30

A Verse for Today

Slowly and reflectively read the following verse(s) and listen to what God will say to you through His written Word. Consider writing down any insights He reveals to you.

Exodus 36:2 (CSB): “So Moses summoned Bezalel, Oholiab, and every skilled person in whose heart the LORD had placed wisdom, all whose hearts moved them, to come to the work and do it.”

Reflecting on God’s Word

As we read through Exodus 36, the Israelites did not yet have an official place of worship. Solomon wouldn’t build the Jerusalem Temple for about 500 years. Until then, the Israelites worshiped in a glorified tent called the Tabernacle.

But it needed to be built first. Before that, the materials had to be collected, and those who would construct the Tabernacle had to be selected.

What we learn in Exodus 36 is that God wouldn’t be satisfied with just anyone working on this special place of worship. They needed to be skilled and have a heart that desired to do it.

I grew up in small churches. Things tended to be less formal, even in our worship services. Plus, I noticed that the level of excellence often was set pretty low.

I’ll never forget when some individuals would get up to sing a solo in the worship service and they would say something like, “Y’all pray for me. I woke up with a sore throat this morning. But with God’s help, I’ll get through this.” When they began to sing, I realized that they were blaming a sore throat when I was convinced they couldn’t sing if their throat was completely healthy.

God didn’t want people like that to build His Tabernacle. He didn’t want excuses. He wanted people who had done the hard work of honing their skills so that they were really good at what they did. He also didn’t want them to use their talents out of a sense of duty or drudgery but because they would find joy in contributing.

Exodus 36:2 (CSB): “So Moses summoned Bezalel, Oholiab, and every skilled person in whose heart the LORD had placed wisdom, all whose hearts moved them, to come to the work and do it.”

What is it that you are good at doing that you could use to bless your church and the Kingdom of God? Is there a way that you could improve your skills even more so that your work would have a higher degree of excellence? Do you have a heart that finds joy in contributing your talents and skills to bless others, your church, and the Kingdom?

Spend Time in Prayer

  • Ask God to help you see where you may have allowed apathy to settle into your heart.
  • Ask God to help you strive to hone and use your talents and skills to bless others, your church, and the Kingdom.
  • Ask God to give you a heart that finds delight in using your talents and skills to bless others.

Going Deeper

If you want to dig a little deeper into what the Bible says about doing your best, consider reading the following GotQuestions article:

“What are some Bible verses about excellence?”

“What does the Bible say about excellence?”

Sharing

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Matt Ellis is the pastor of First Baptist Church in Polk City, Florida (fbcpolkcity.com)