Exodus 36

When willing hearts go beyond

Moses gave them the materials donated by the people of Israel as sacred offerings for the completion of the sanctuary. But the people continued to bring additional gifts each morning. Finally, the craftsmen who were working on the sanctuary left their work. They went to Moses and reported, “The people have given more than enough materials to complete the job the Lord has commanded us to do!” ~ Exodus 36:3-5

 Have you ever been so moved by something that you couldn’t help but give more than was asked of you? There is a deep joy that comes from giving when your heart is stirred by love, gratitude, or purpose. In Exodus 36, we see a powerful example of what happens when God’s people respond with that kind of willingness. The Israelites were bringing so many offerings for the building of the tabernacle that Moses had to tell them to stop giving because there was more than enough. What a beautiful problem to have, hearts so stirred by God that generosity overflows.

I remember a time when I was serving in a project at church, and we were gathering volunteers for an outreach event. Initially, we weren’t sure if we would have enough people or resources to pull it off. But as word spread, more and more people began to show up ready to help. Some brought food, others brought supplies, and others just showed up with willing hearts and hands. It reached a point where we had more than we needed, and we were even able to bless another ministry with the overflow. It was such a vivid reminder that when God stirs hearts, He doesn’t just provide the bare minimum, He provides overflow.

That same principle applies to every area of life. Whether it’s your time, your gifts, or your resources, when you respond to God’s prompting, He multiplies what you bring. You may not feel like you have much to offer, but when it’s placed in God’s hands, it becomes more than enough. Your willingness to give, serve, and step out in faith creates space for God’s provision to flow through you to others.

Here are some practical ways to apply this truth in your life:

• Start by asking God to show you where He is stirring your heart to give or serve. Be open to His leading even if it seems small.
• Offer what you have with joy, not out of obligation. Remember, it’s not the amount that matters but the heart behind it.
• Look for opportunities to be part of what God is building around you, whether in your church, your community, or your family.
• Encourage others to participate too. Sometimes your willingness can spark faith in someone else.
• Keep your heart sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s promptings. The more you respond, the more you’ll see His abundance at work.

Today I want to encourage you to give from a willing heart, not because you have to, but because you want to be part of what God is doing. When your heart is stirred by His purpose, you’ll discover that what you offer is never too small. God has a way of multiplying it beyond what you could imagine, bringing more than enough for His work to be accomplished.

Today’s scripture reading: Exodus 36

1 “The Lord has gifted Bezalel, Oholiab, and the other skilled craftsmen with wisdom and ability to perform any task involved in building the sanctuary. Let them construct and furnish the Tabernacle, just as the Lord has commanded.”

2 So Moses summoned Bezalel and Oholiab and all the others who were specially gifted by the Lord and were eager to get to work. 

3 Moses gave them the materials donated by the people of Israel as sacred offerings for the completion of the sanctuary. But the people continued to bring additional gifts each morning. 

4 Finally the craftsmen who were working on the sanctuary left their work. 

5 They went to Moses and reported, “The people have given more than enough materials to complete the job the Lord has commanded us to do!”

6 So Moses gave the command, and this message was sent throughout the camp: “Men and women, don’t prepare any more gifts for the sanctuary. We have enough!” So the people stopped bringing their sacred offerings. 

7 Their contributions were more than enough to complete the whole project.

8 The skilled craftsmen made ten curtains of finely woven linen for the Tabernacle. Then Bezalel decorated the curtains with blue, purple, and scarlet thread and with skillfully embroidered cherubim. 

9 All ten curtains were exactly the same size—42 feet long and 6 feet wide. 

10 Five of these curtains were joined together to make one long curtain, and the other five were joined to make a second long curtain. 

11 He made fifty loops of blue yarn and put them along the edge of the last curtain in each set. 

12 The fifty loops along the edge of one curtain matched the fifty loops along the edge of the other curtain. 

13 Then he made fifty gold clasps and fastened the long curtains together with the clasps. In this way, the Tabernacle was made of one continuous piece.

14 He made eleven curtains of goat-hair cloth to serve as a tent covering for the Tabernacle. 

15 These eleven curtains were all exactly the same size—45 feet long and 6 feet wide. 

16 Bezalel joined five of these curtains together to make one long curtain, and the other six were joined to make a second long curtain. 

17 He made fifty loops for the edge of each large curtain. 

18 He also made fifty bronze clasps to fasten the long curtains together. In this way, the tent covering was made of one continuous piece. 

19 He completed the tent covering with a layer of tanned ram skins and a layer of fine goatskin leather.

20 For the framework of the Tabernacle, Bezalel constructed frames of acacia wood. 

21 Each frame was 15 feet high and 27 inches wide, 

22 with two pegs under each frame. All the frames were identical. 

23 He made twenty of these frames to support the curtains on the south side of the Tabernacle. 

24 He also made forty silver bases—two bases under each frame, with the pegs fitting securely into the bases. 

25 For the north side of the Tabernacle, he made another twenty frames, 

26 with their forty silver bases, two bases under each frame. 

27 He made six frames for the rear—the west side of the Tabernacle— 

28 along with two additional frames to reinforce the rear corners of the Tabernacle. 

29 These corner frames were matched at the bottom and firmly attached at the top with a single ring, forming a single corner unit. Both of these corner units were made the same way. 

30 So there were eight frames at the rear of the Tabernacle, set in sixteen silver bases—two bases under each frame.

31 Then he made crossbars of acacia wood to link the frames, five crossbars for the north side of the Tabernacle 

32 and five for the south side. He also made five crossbars for the rear of the Tabernacle, which faced west. 

33 He made the middle crossbar to attach halfway up the frames; it ran all the way from one end of the Tabernacle to the other. 

34 He overlaid the frames with gold and made gold rings to hold the crossbars. Then he overlaid the crossbars with gold as well.

35 For the inside of the Tabernacle, Bezalel made a special curtain of finely woven linen. He decorated it with blue, purple, and scarlet thread and with skillfully embroidered cherubim. 

36 For the curtain, he made four posts of acacia wood and four gold hooks. He overlaid the posts with gold and set them in four silver bases.

37 Then he made another curtain for the entrance to the sacred tent. He made it of finely woven linen and embroidered it with exquisite designs using blue, purple, and scarlet thread. 

38 This curtain was hung on gold hooks attached to five posts. The posts with their decorated tops and hooks were overlaid with gold, and the five bases were cast from bronze.

Journal:

• Where is God stirring my heart to give or serve right now?
• What can I offer today that could make a difference in someone else’s life?