Sanctuary

“The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. ³² Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.” (Matthew 13:31–32) 

The kingdom of the world favors the big and the strong and the powerful. The Kingdom of God is precisely the opposite. Jesus teaches an “upside-down” Gospel, where the poor are rich, the weak are strong, and the least are great. For Jesus people, the issue is not the size of the seed, but the seed itself.

Paul writes to the church in Corinth, “But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. ²⁸ God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, ²⁹ so that no one may boast before him” (1 Corinthians 1:27–29).

Mother Teresa was fond of saying, “In this life we cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love.” What “small thing with great love” can you do for a neighbor or even a stranger today? Ask God for a renewed vision of the power of the small seed of faith.

Prayer Focus: Love Walk Church

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He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart, yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. (Ecclesiastes 3:11) 

The sovereign plan of God is unfathomable. It’s a mystery to the human heart and mind. Yet God has an appropriate time and space for every activity. Too, “God has placed within the heart of every person a sense of something eternal and a desire to know the eternal significance of what we do.” (Delitzsch)

Because we cannot grasp all of God’s plan, we can become discontent in our work, for we cannot see the full benefit or consequences of what we do. There’s often little gratification, to our dismay. We are caught in between. Our choice is either to persevere in our discontent or to simply trust God to be the God of outcomes. Solomon proposes that the outcome of anything is too much for our capability, no matter our material or physical strength. Our hope is in God and God alone.

Ask God for the ability to let go of outcomes, trusting that His eternal plan is right and good.

Prayer Focus: Benevolence “White Bucket” Ministry

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Then Moses summoned Bezalel and Oholiab and every skilled person to whom the Lord had given ability and who was willing to come and do the work. ³ They received from Moses all the offerings the Israelites had brought to carry out the work of constructing the sanctuary. And the people continued to bring freewill offerings morning after morning. ⁴ So all the skilled workers who were doing all the work on the sanctuary left what they were doing ⁵ and said to Moses, “The people are bringing more than enough for doing the work the Lord commanded to be done.” (Exodus 36:2–7)

Moses called upon those whom God had specially gifted and entrusted with both wisdom and the ability to perform the tasks necessary for the building of the tabernacle. Building the tabernacle could not have happened without the proper workers and materials; therefore, qualified servants were summoned by Moses, who continued to give instructions that came from the Lord regarding the building of His dwelling place.

Today, God has qualified and entrusted His people with the gifts to be stewarded for the building of His Bride. We are the “living stones…being built up into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood” (1 Peter 2:5). How is God inviting you to be a participant in His story through the giving of His gifts?

Offer praise to God for making His dwelling within you. Ask God for the courage to respond to Him with an overflow of gratitude for all He has given you to steward.

Prayer Focus: Staff at Sanctuary

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