God Wants My Heart

SCRIPTURE
"All whose hearts were stirred and whose spirits were moved came and brought their sacred offerings to the Lord. They brought all the materials needed for the Tabernacle, for the performance of its rituals, and for the sacred garments." (Exodus 35:21)

OBSERVATION
It seems to me, in this verse, that God is more interested in our hearts than He is in our offerings. If I give my offering to God out of some cold ritual, and my heart is not in it...then I might as well keep my money. God wants my heart. It's like if I buy flowers for my wife, Jenny, and then tell her that I felt like I did it because I was supposed to as her husband. It was my duty. That kind of approach kind of has a way of killing the moment. Something huge gets lost. My heart love for her. It's the same with our God. He wants our heart to be fully captivated by Him alone.

APPLICATION
God doesn't want my money, fortune, or materials that I give because He already owns it all. God wants my heart. With out our hearts our gifts we give won't be worth much. When we serve God with all our hearts God calls it sacred, and delights to be among His children with this kind of heart. I never want to fall into thinking that God is here to serve me, or the church is here to serve me, or people owe me something. I want to remain a JOYFUL giver.

PRAYER
Father, My heart is Yours, and only Yours. Thank you for the heart check this morning. I realize there may be times when I don't feel You, or see you as the children of Israel experienced. This is never a license to find security in my self, others, or temporal things. I serve You alone, I yearn for Your presence, that is all that matters! Amen!