So they came...

September 22, 2011

Exodus 35:22 So they came, both men and women. All who were of a willing heart brought brooches and earrings and signet rings and armlets, all sorts of gold objects, every man dedicating an offering of gold to the Lord.

 I was asked a question, well; it wasn’t really directed to me but more a general question. But I was forced to confront myself about whether or not I was willing to do something. I came to the conclusion that I am unsure how to go about making myself willing. I mean either you are or you aren’t, so I have always assumed. Whenever I am in a situation like this, it is my habit to do a word study for my quiet times, so that I might learn what God says about that particular subject. So, for the next little while I’m going to be studying “willingness” and what the Bible says about it. Willing is defined as “Cheerfully consenting or ready.” OK, so I already know that I am failing in this situation so far because I’m anything but cheerful about it. In the verse above, Moses had previously called the Children of Isareal to contribute gold to be brought in order that they might build the tabernacle. This verse represents their willingness to give up their “money” so to speak, in order that God’s Tabernacle could be built to His exact specifications. It is assumed that some of this wealth is a result of things the Israelites were given as they fled Egypt; yet, they willingly gave it up for God. That I guess is the question; being willing to let go of whatever we are holding on to, whatever we have in order to obey God. Asking our self, is God worth giving up anything in order to obey? Sometimes that question is easier to answer and to obey but many times it isn’t; many times it’s a battle to just admit that you can’t.