Tell the Israelites to bring me an offering. You are to receive the offering for me from everyone whose heart prompts them to give – Exodus 25:2

God instructed Moses on Mt. Sinai to collect an offering for the construction of the Tabernacle in the wilderness (Exodus 25:1-7). The message was very simple;“Tell the Israelites to bring me an offering” (2). The message was intended for the entire Israelite community. Moses was to receive the offering on behalf of the Lord. God specified the items they were to bring (3-7). The purpose of the offering was very specific: The construction of the Tabernacle, its articles and furnishing. Nothing was left to speculation.

The interesting thing about this offering was that even though all the Israelites were to bring the offering, God made it optional. There was no compulsion. Rather, Moses was instructed to receive from only those “whose heart prompts them to give” (2c). In chapter 35, God added that “Everyone who is willing”, was to bring an offering of any of the items He had specified. From these two conditions, we get two firm principles for proper giving to the Lord.

First, God receives from only those whose hearts prompt them to give to Him. This principle is anchored on the fact that giving is an act of worship (Rm. 12:1). And, worship must come from a willing heart. God is always concerned about the motive behind everything we do or bring to Him. That’s why He doesn’t look at the outward appearance, but, at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7).

The second principle is that God receives from only those who are willing to give to Him. The fact is, your heart may prompt you to give, but you may not be willing and ready to do so. A lot of things compete for our time, money, and other resources and so even when our heart is prompting us to give, we find ourselves holding back. When we give anyway, we do so reluctantly, not that we don’t want to give, but because we would rather have spent the resource on something else this time. God would not have any of that. He looks for whole-hearted devotion to receive and bless (2 Chron. 16:9).  The silver and the gold belong to Him anyway. So, God simply provides us with opportunity to be blessed (Phil. 4:17).

That is the test of our devotion and dedication to God. A grateful heart may prompt you to give, but until other considerations are submitted to His Lordship and Majesty, you will always struggle to give. All other principles of giving are consequent upon these two that were stated by God in the wilderness. If we get them right, God will be glorified as we give with joy and receive much more, so that “we can be generous on every occasion” (2 Cor. 9:11).