Exodus 25:1-8 "And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering. And this is the offering which ye shall take of them; gold, and silver, and brass, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair, and rams' skins dyed red, and badgers' skins, and shittim wood, oil for the light, spices for anointing oil, and for sweet incense, onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod, and in the breastplate. And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them."
Dear ones, do not ever let anyone tell you that we serve a self-serving God. The only things we have to offer Him are the things that He has already blessed us to have. Our offerings to the LORD are good in His sight, but we are the ones who are truly blessed when we make an offering to Him. Everything that we have ever done for others in the name of the LORD has been a blessing in our own lives.
Notice that there is something very particular about the offerings that were brought to Him. Moses was to take an offering that was given willingly. Anything that we might offer unto Him, as a living sacrifice, must be done willingly without begrudging one part or particle. Otherwise, it is not the best we have to offer.
The LORD desires offerings that come from the heart. If we go to church murmuring every step of the way, that is not an acceptable offering. If we sing because others have told us they like to hear it, that is not an acceptable offering. We should meet together with rejoicing and sing for the joy of His praise.
Finally, all the offerings we bring should be for the building up of God’s house. The things that God would have the children of Israel bring all went into the building of a place where they could worship Him. Again, the offerings were for the good of the people. Bringing these offerings was, in itself, worshipping the LORD.
Beloved, we need to be about the business of bringing our best to Him every day. It needs to be done willingly and from the heart. This is the true sanctuary of God; this is the place where we worship Him. His promise is that He will dwell among us in such a place.