Giving to Build

Exodus 25:1–2 (HCSB)

The LORD spoke to Moses: "Tell the Israelites to take an offering for Me. You are to take My offering from everyone whose heart stirs him ‹to give›.

The most sensitive nerve in the human body is the one attached to the billfold. We have no problem spending. Our problem is giving. We can hardly wait to spend our hard-earned money on that which will give us a momentary feeling of pleasure, but we agonize over giving for that from which we get no immediate (although fleeting) satisfaction.

God’s plan was to build a house. He threatened no judgment to those who refused to give. He promised no special blessing to those who gave. But He did give them the opportunity to participate in building a place where He would dwell among them.

Structures are important. Structures are symbols of our values. Look at our Whitehouse and our Capitol building. These are symbols or our democratic values. Look at our schools and universities. These represent the value we place on education. Our houses of worship are the same. Churches that dot our landscape are symbols of the value we place on worship, and our belief in our Creator. These are reminders to us of that which we believe.

Who pays? This is our responsibility. This has always been so. Those nations where the government pays to build churches are spiritually dead. But where the people give to build there is spiritual vitality. This is what God knows. This is what wise people understand. This is why God gives us the opportunity to participate in the building of His house. And this is why we should be glad to do it.