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Dear Heavenly Father, Praise I praise you today for being a God who notices and takes pride in the obedience of your children. The psalmist said, “The Lord takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with salvation” (Ps 149:4). The prophet Zephaniah said, “The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing” (Zeph 3:17). I honor and glorify your name. You truly are worthy of my praise! Today in Your Word Today you told me about the construction of your Tabernacle. When Moses called for contributions of raw materials, the people gladly gave their best. They were so generous that they brought more than enough, and Moses had to restrain them (Exod 36:5–6). This shows me how much you love a cheerful giver (2 Cor 9:7). Bezalel, Oholiab and the other craftsmen stayed true to your design and carefully crafted each part to your specifications. This stands in stark contrast to the people’s previous attempt at “building”—the golden calf. The amount of detail you recorded about the construction process demonstrates how important their exacting obedience was to you. It also reveals the reverence of the workers. They crafted the curtains first so they could cover the ark and keep it hidden and protected during the rest of the labor. Further, the written record of the construction acted as a maintenance guide for future generations as the materials in the Tabernacle wore out over time. This teaches me that you do care about externals, and when you give instructions about things in the material realm, you expect to be obeyed. You also notice and honor the sacrifices we make in carrying out your will. It wouldn’t have been an easy thing for a woman to part with her bronze mirror (Exod 38:8). Reflection It’s likely that during construction, one or more of the craftsmen wanted to make a certain part of the Tabernacle in a way that was different from your design. Do I remain obedient even when I think I know a better way of accomplishing your will? (cf. 1 Sam 15:21). Request Father, give me the grace to trust in the Lord with all my heart and not to lean on my own understanding (Prov 3:5). Help me to say, “Not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42). Thanksgiving My heart is filled with gratitude to you, Father, for your wonderful love to me. Thank you for your holy, inspired Word. It truly is able to save my soul (Jam 1:21). In Jesus’ name, Amen. Suggested Hymn: “Pure Myrrh and Cinnamon” (Anonymous). Meditation Verse: Exodus 38:8. |