Finding Joy in Doing the Lord's Work. Exodus 38-39; Mark 4

May the mumbling commence!

What a joy to use your gifts to do what the Lord has commanded you to do!  Bezalel and Oholiab must have felt this way as they constructed the Tabernacle.  What gratification they must have when both Moses and the Lord recognized that they had did just what the Lord commanded!  Read a couple of passages from Exodus chapter thirty-nine:

And so at last the Tabernacle was finished. The Israelites had done everything just as the Lord had commanded Moses. (Verse 32)

So the people of Israel followed all of the Lord's instructions to Moses.  Moses inspected all their work and blessed them because it had been done as the Lord had commanded him. (Verses 42-43)

To do the work the Lord has put before you is to help in the construction of the Kingdom of God.  And that work can start from the smallest of seeds within ourselves.  Read from Mark chapter four:

Jesus asked, "How can I describe the Kingdom of God? What story should I use to illustrate it?  It is like a tiny mustard seed. Though this is one of the smallest of seeds, it grows to become one of the largest of plants, with long branches where birds can come and find shelter." (Verses 30-32)

God can make extraordinary use of our smallest gifts of faith.  A tiny seed that would be quite easy to overlook can become the largest of plants.  Other people will be able to find shelter in the plant of faith that will grow from that tiny seed of faith within ourselves.

God will make the seed grow and produce a harvest.  Read another of Jesus’ parables from Mark four:

Jesus also said, "Here is another illustration of what the Kingdom of God is like: A farmer planted seeds in a field, and then he went on with his other activities. As the days went by, the seeds sprouted and grew without the farmer's help, because the earth produces crops on its own. First a leaf blade pushes through, then the heads of wheat are formed, and finally the grain ripens.  And as soon as the grain is ready, the farmer comes and harvests it with a sickle." (Verses 26-29)

While the farmer can plant the crop and try to enhance the conditions for growth, the farmer cannot cause his crop to grow.  The crop grows of its own accord… just as the Lord created it.  It calls for expectant patience from us.

Let’s be patient in doing what the Lord has called us to do.  Let’s wait  on the Lord to do the rest.

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out