May 30, 2013
Central Truth
Like Moses, Todd Wagner, Watermark's senior pastor, made the announcement, "Bring no more offerings for our campus construction." Our body has provided "more than enough." Praise God.
And they said to Moses, "The people are bringing much more than enough for the construction work which the Lord commanded us to perform." So Moses issued a command, and a proclamation was circulated throughout the camp, saying, "Let no man or woman any longer perform work for the contributions of the sanctuary." Thus the people were restrained from bringing any more. (Exodus 36:5-6)
1 Bezalel and Oholiab and every craftsman in whom the LORD has put skill and intelligence to know how to do any work in the construction of the sanctuary shall work in accordance with all that the LORD has commanded.”
2 And Moses called Bezalel and Oholiab and every craftsman in whose mind the LORD had put skill, everyone whose heart stirred him up to come to do the work. 3 And they received from Moses all the contribution that the people of Israel had brought for doing the work on the sanctuary. They still kept bringing him freewill offerings every morning, 4 so that all the craftsmen who were doing every sort of task on the sanctuary came, each from the task that he was doing, 5 and said to Moses, “The people bring much more than enough for doing the work that the LORD has commanded us to do.” 6 So Moses gave command, and word was proclaimed throughout the camp, “Let no man or woman do anything more for the contribution for the sanctuary.” So the people were restrained from bringing, 7 for the material they had was sufficient to do all the work, and more.
8 And all the craftsmen among the workmen made the tabernacle with ten curtains. They were made of fine twined linen and blue and purple and scarlet yarns, with cherubim skillfully worked. 9 The length of each curtain was twenty-eight cubits, 1 36:9 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters and the breadth of each curtain four cubits. All the curtains were the same size.
10 He 2 36:10 Probably Bezalel (compare 35:30; 37:1) coupled five curtains to one another, and the other five curtains he coupled to one another. 11 He made loops of blue on the edge of the outermost curtain of the first set. Likewise he made them on the edge of the outermost curtain of the second set. 12 He made fifty loops on the one curtain, and he made fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that was in the second set. The loops were opposite one another. 13 And he made fifty clasps of gold, and coupled the curtains one to the other with clasps. So the tabernacle was a single whole.
14 He also made curtains of goats' hair for a tent over the tabernacle. He made eleven curtains. 15 The length of each curtain was thirty cubits, and the breadth of each curtain four cubits. The eleven curtains were the same size. 16 He coupled five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves. 17 And he made fifty loops on the edge of the outermost curtain of the one set, and fifty loops on the edge of the other connecting curtain. 18 And he made fifty clasps of bronze to couple the tent together that it might be a single whole. 19 And he made for the tent a covering of tanned rams' skins and goatskins.
20 Then he made the upright frames for the tabernacle of acacia wood. 21 Ten cubits was the length of a frame, and a cubit and a half the breadth of each frame. 22 Each frame had two tenons for fitting together. He did this for all the frames of the tabernacle. 23 The frames for the tabernacle he made thus: twenty frames for the south side. 24 And he made forty bases of silver under the twenty frames, two bases under one frame for its two tenons, and two bases under the next frame for its two tenons. 25 For the second side of the tabernacle, on the north side, he made twenty frames 26 and their forty bases of silver, two bases under one frame and two bases under the next frame. 27 For the rear of the tabernacle westward he made six frames. 28 He made two frames for corners of the tabernacle in the rear. 29 And they were separate beneath but joined at the top, at the first ring. He made two of them this way for the two corners. 30 There were eight frames with their bases of silver: sixteen bases, under every frame two bases.
31 He made bars of acacia wood, five for the frames of the one side of the tabernacle, 32 and five bars for the frames of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the frames of the tabernacle at the rear westward. 33 And he made the middle bar to run from end to end halfway up the frames. 34 And he overlaid the frames with gold, and made their rings of gold for holders for the bars, and overlaid the bars with gold.
35 He made the veil of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen; with cherubim skillfully worked into it he made it. 36 And for it he made four pillars of acacia and overlaid them with gold. Their hooks were of gold, and he cast for them four bases of silver. 37 He also made a screen for the entrance of the tent, of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, embroidered with needlework, 38 and its five pillars with their hooks. He overlaid their capitals, and their fillets were of gold, but their five bases were of bronze.
Our elders and staff chose this passage to pray when we began to build out our campus, and we have truly seen God "stir hearts" and provide "more than enough." Scripture tells us in Luke 1:37 (NLT) that "nothing is impossible with God," yet one of the things that I have noticed over the years is that my prayers are often far too small for my Big God. He is teaching me that as I yield to Him and pray, "Lord, change me" and "Lord, use me," I begin to experience a "more-than-enough" life.
One of the ways that God is providing "more-than-enough" living is by allowing me to participate with Him in telling others about Jesus. While writing this devotional, a guy came into my office, explained his struggles and his need for help, and prayed to receive Jesus Christ as his Savior and Lord before he left. That is God at work answering my prayers to use me, and it was really more than I expected on that particular day. God has a job for each of us whom He has called out of darkness into His marvelous light. The starting point is when we yield to the Lord's stirring in our hearts and we begin to participate with Him as He works to conform us to the image of Jesus.
We thank God for providing "more than enough" for all of our facilities here at Watermark, but that pales in comparison to how the Lord wants to change and use us for His kingdom purposes. Our God is "more than enough" for us and all our needs. Pray, be available, and expect Him to work!!!
"Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen." (Ephesians 3:20-21, NLT)
1. Would you pray daily for the rest of this year, "Lord, change me" and "Lord, use me"?
2. Where is a place in your life that God has provided "more than enough" for your need? Thank Him.
3. Who is in your life to encourage you to entrust yourself, your struggles, and all your needs to the God who can do abundantly more than you ever dare to ask or hope?
4. Will you join me in thanking God for how amazingly He has provided "more than enough" for our facilities, and, most of all, for the changed lives here at Watermark?