Giving Our Time, Talent, and Treasure with a Joyful Spirit (Application)
Giving Our Time, Talent, and Treasure with a Joyful Spirit (Application)
a commentary on Exodus 35
Thank you, Lord, for this day. May it be used for your glory!
Good morning everyone and welcome back to another Biblit! To be precise, welcome back to last week’s Biblit, part 3!
First of all, if you are new, welcome! Make sure you are subscribed so you can get these Biblits straight in your inbox!
Ok, I owe you all one more apology. Maybe 2. I said this Biblit would come out last Saturday, but as you probably noticed…it didn’t.
We got to spend the weekend with Taylor’s grandparents hunting, eating, and catching up. I didn’t really have the time I thought I would to devote to this last Biblit. And I didn’t want to just rush through it to meet a self-made deadline.
But today I do have the time!
While I have you, I will go ahead and share some logistics of the next couple of Biblits. What I think I’ll do is publish this Application Biblit (the one you are currently reading) for Exodus 35 and then focus on getting the Exodus 40 Biblit done for next week, Thanksgiving week!
Remember, we are skipping Exodus 36 - 39 as they are pretty much a repeat of what we already learned. But, I highly encourage reading them as they are still in the Bible for a reason.
After Exodus 40, we will be all done with Exodus! Crazy! I’ll let you all know some of my thoughts for the next book soon!
But until then, let’s jump into this application of Exodus 35!
Application
Ok, so I will divide the application into the same 2 points as the interpretation: Sabbath and Cheerful Giving. Except, I will also divide Cheerful Giving into 2 subpoints. So 3 total points for maximum confusion, haha!
Taking a Sabbath Rest
This passage is a great reminder that resting in the Lord should always come first.
The first day on earth for Adam and Eve was a day of resting in Him. The whole narrative around the Tabernacle is centered around the Sabbath.
Resting in the Lord is what gives us strength and power to take on the rest of the day, week, month, year, and our whole life.
I think Martin Luther really sums it up best:
“I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer.”
― Martin Luther
If we don’t spend time with the Lord each day, we will be powerless to get any good works done!
Cheerful Givers
I split the idea of being a cheerful giver into two because I wanted to focus on two pieces of it.
As we will see, there is a heart issue and then there are some actual applicable actions. I wanted to give each of these its own weight.
Where is Your Heart?
One thing is emphasized in this passage over and over: that Israel gave with willing hearts.
They were not forced.
It reminds me of what Paul says to the Corinthians:
“Each person should do as he has decided in his heart—not reluctantly or out of compulsion, since God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:7 CSB).
And so I ask myself and I ask you, how are you giving? Begrudgingly like it’s a tax or cheerfully?
Those who understand grace, ought to give with willing and joyful hearts.
When Christ comes into our hearts, He renews our hearts and gives us generous ones.
Is your giving reflecting this truth?
What Will You Give?
I think when you say the word: give, generous, or donate, we often think of material possessions. Specifically money.
Society says a generous person is one that gives money to the poor. A stingy person is like Scrooge, who just hordes their money.
Generosity always seems to have close ties with money and only money.
But look at the Israelites.
Yes, some gave gold and silver. But others gave their talents in order to actually build the Tabernacle and serve the Lord. Others that didn’t have possessions or talents gave up their time in order to learn the talents necessary to serve God.
We have more resources and gifts than just cash.
God has gifted you with unique abilities, and He gave you those abilities so that you can glorify Him and be equipped to do His good works!
And we should never neglect the most valuable resource in the world: time.
Time is the only resource you can’t make more of. Ephesians warns us to use it wisely.
And so I ask you and I ask myself: what will you give?
God has gifted you with either time, talents, treasures, or a combination of them all. What is He calling you to give?
With that, we will call it a day!
I apologize for the delays!
Again, on Thanksgiving week, Exodus 40 is coming your way! The final Biblit in what has been almost a year long study through Exodus!
Next week I will also discuss what is coming next because I have a few ideas. But if you have any books you’d want to study through, please let me know!