In Exodus 35, we see a community coming together to build the tabernacle of the Lord. The writer mentions “everyone” several times, and other times specifically mentions the women and their specific contribution. These women remain nameless, but are known for their abundant generosity (v5,) the stewardship of their God-given skills (v 10 and v25,) their stirred/moved hearts (v21,26,29,) and their willingness to work for the Lord (v29.) 

To give  context, if we back up in Exodus to chapter 34, we read  God has just renewed His covenant with His people. He’s given the ten commandments to Moses to give to his people on Mt. Sinai. Moses saw the glory of God and his face shone as a result. He gives them instructions for how to practice Sabbath. Afterwards, God commands them to set up a tabernacle where He would meet with them and the place where He would accept sacrifice for their sin and restore them to Himself. 

I see in these women the hope of glory Paul talks about in Colossians 1:27. The tabernacle gave opportunity for God’s people to meet with Him. They saw the hope of God’s glory etched in Moses’ very face. So they worked with everything God had given them, and out of their stirred, moved, willing, and generous hearts, they brought glory to God through their obedience. 

In John 1:14, we read, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” The word “dwelt” literally means “tabernacled.” Jesus came to tabernacle with us.

God has built His tabernacle within us. He is IN us! This is our hope of glory…

In the Old Testament, these women worked to build the tabernacle for God’s glory. Now, God has built His tabernacle within us. He is IN us! This is our hope of glory, and it is in this hope that we do the same as these women did. We generously give what we have been given. We allow God to move and stir our hearts. We are willing to obey. We use our skills and gifts and resources to glorify God. Why? Because it is the natural outpouring of the Holy Spirit’s presence in the tabernacle of our hearts. We have the hope of glory, and we want others to see our lives and to share in this hope. 

So this passage begs these questions. Are we willing? What has God given us, and how are we using it? In 1 Corinthians 10:31, Paul instructs us to do everything to the glory of God. Like these women mentioned in Exodus, are there ways in which we could join our gifts together with God’s church to glorify God? 

I love how this account is found after God’s instructions for rest. We, too, work to the glory of God from our rest---rest in the gospel! Let’s remember the work on the cross is finished, and now, we work from a place of a great hope in the good news of Jesus! We “get to” glorify God, together, as an offering of worship for what He has done for us. So let’s say “yes Lord!” and get to work!

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Jillian Vincent loves Jesus. She's a wife, a mother of boys, and a Dayton enthusiast. Jillian currently is a stay at home mama and spends nap times writing and discipling other women. She would (almost) die for an avocado, a cup of coffee made by her husband, a novel that makes her cry, and a bouquet of sunflowers.

A man, blind from birth.
A woman, lame for years.
A child, sick with a fever that the parents knew would take his life.

The towns in Jesus time were filled with people like this. The lame, the blind, the sick. It’s safe to say that there was a lot of hopelessness, wondering if there will ever be relief from this oppression. Wondering if there is a cure, a way to find healing and hope.

The gospels are filled with stories of people facing brokenness in their lives. There are many instances of brokenness due to sin or lifestyle choices, but the brokenness that stands out in these stories is the physical brokenness that many were facing. Some of them had lived their entire lives stricken with physical illness, while some had contracted diseases that had no cure. Many were hopeless...beggars sitting at the edges of pools, marketplaces and wealthy homes, hoping that today would be the day that brings a reprieve from their symptoms and pains.

And then along comes Jesus. Walking from town to town, bringing with him a strange group of people, filled with parables and preaching. Most likely, his reputation preceded him and as the townspeople heard he was coming, they waited for him to walk into their towns. Were the rumors really true? Did he really say such strange things? Did he really talk back to Pharisees and Sadducees and religious leaders? Did he really do all those things he said he did? What is this Jesus guy really all about? And, really, when it all comes down to it- is there anything in his message for me? What can he provide me with?

it’s not just about us and the solutions we crave. Instead, it’s about gOD and using our testimony to bring glory to Him.

So, from town to town Jesus and his strange band of men stroll. Jesus brings messages that the people haven’t heard before, he stands up to the religious leaders and often makes spectacles of them. He reprimands the rich young man and tax collectors. I imagine most of the “commoners” standing in the crowd, enjoying the scene. At the same time, the words coming from Jesus’ mouth probably made many uncomfortable. How could it be possible to choose to stay married when divorce was an option? How could one worker be paid the same amount as another worker who did half the work? And really, Jesus, those words are so nice and entertaining, but- what is in it for me?

Throughout the gospels, there is a division of people after Jesus has finished preaching and teaching. There are those who scoff and walk away, there are those who listen and believe, and there are those who listen, believe and obey. Each group seems to answer “What is in it for me?” in a different way. The first group decides that there is nothing in it for them- and walks away. The second group decides that it could be rather beneficial for them to follow this man with the strange words of wisdom. And the third group? They also decide that there is nothing in it for them- that instead of it being about them, it is all about HIM.

Let’s take a closer look at Luke 17:11-19. As Jesus entered a village, ten men with leprosy approached him (vs. 12). They raised their voices, asking Jesus to bring healing to them (vs. 13). They knew who Jesus was and they knew that his reputation- he brought healing to those who were stricken with sickness and disease. They knew that there was a chance that just asking could bring relief from years of pain and living like social outcasts. Jesus’ response to them was simple- “Go and show yourselves to the priests” (vs. 14). All ten men heard what Jesus said and decided that it would be beneficial for them to go and do what Jesus said. All ten men were healed on their way to see the priests! But only one man fully understood the weight of what had happened. Only one of the ten understood that it wasn’t all about him or what was in it for him. He understood that it was about Jesus and giving glory to God (vs. 15-16). He fell face down before Jesus and thanked him, giving glory to God.

Let us also remember this lesson: that when we ask God, we can expect him to bring healing and answers to our problems. But it’s not just about us and the solutions we crave. Instead, it’s about HIM and using our testimony to bring glory to Him. How can we do that today?

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Suzanne Hines wants to live in a world where sunflowers bloom in eternal summer, where her children play instead of argue and where her family has an endless budget for travel. When she's not loving her husband, training and teaching her three children, and spreading education on the foster care system, you can find her writing, reading or running outside!

Her favorite Scripture is Romans 12:12 "...be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer..." (NIV)

Today’s team journal was written by our Administrative Director, Christina Von Moll.

Toward the end of 2017, my husband and I began praying about the next step in his career. We decided that the time was right for him to go back to school and get his Ph.D. Initially, I felt peace and was able to let myself be overjoyed and proud. I knew that the Lord had already gone before us so as to prepare a foundation of faith. And He had also given us an amazing support network of loving friends and family to help us through this next season of raising tiny ones and navigating higher level education at the same time. Plus, the Lord had just brought me through a season of shattering idols (you can listen to that testimony here), and during that season He opened my eyes to the gracious and loving community He had placed right in front of me. He has graciously continued to grow my affection for my local church and my city - Dayton has become home and my church has become family. I was in a good place. My family was in a good place. Life was in a good place.

Then, the Ph.D. curveball came. My husband and I then had to decide between two schools - one of which was about 2500 miles away from everything we knew and loved, and the other which was much nearer to home. Should we leave or should we stay? Our hearts were torn between two amazingly great choices.

It was in the process of deciding that the Lord met us and led us to be fully surrendered to Him, trusting in His leading. The process gave us a more in-depth knowledge of our loving Father. From the first moment we, as a family, decided to go full steam ahead into the Ph.D. program, I must have flip-flopped about 400 times between feelings of anxiety and excitement. Then throw in a potential cross-country move and newborn baby into the mix, and suffice it to say that “trust in the Lord” was not where my heart was leaning.

Our eyes were opened, and instead of seeing potential trials we saw endless opportunities for grace, love, and glory.

But God, in His goodness, led me through that season by showing me that peace and wisdom could be found by seeking first His Kingdom. The key in this season was to allow His Word to dwell in me richly. As I approached the Word with fresh eyes and an expectancy to know the Lord in a deeper way, I began to see that He is trustworthy, He is totally FOR us, and no matter what we decided to do, He would be glorified.

I cannot even begin to describe the peace that came over me in the moment that the Holy Spirit made that truth click in my heart and mind. If we left our support network for a new city far away from everything we had known, He would be glorified. And if we stayed to face the uncertainty of funding and various other unknowns, He would still be glorified. If we left, He would provide. If we stayed, He would provide - even if not in the ways we imagined. A deep relief rested in my soul with this understanding. This relief, or peace, came from choosing to trust God - even in the unknown. We also experienced freedom which came from being surrendered to His will. We simply wanted Christ to be glorified in us. Our eyes were opened, and instead of seeing potential trials we saw endless opportunities for grace, love, and glory. We trusted that our God was big and that He would move on our behalf, establishing our steps. When we finally made the choice to stay, with our eyes fixed on Him (Heb. 12:1-2) and our hearts set to give Him glory in it all (1 Cor. 10:31), our path was made straight.

In life, we face choices every day. Some have a definite right answer, and some don’t. Whether big or small, when we face these non-moral choices with a trust in God and full assurance that He will take our choice and turn it for our good and His glory (Rom. 8:28). Ultimately, we know that we can trust in the One who made the way, and lean not on our own understanding of what the “way” should be (Proverbs 3:5-6). As we will be reminded of in our Summer Study on Hosea, this is where we will truly find peace.

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Christina Von Moll wants to live in a world where coffee breaks are mandatory and kids actually sleep through the night. When she's not wrangling her two tiny children, you can find her binge-watching seasons of "The Office" or curled up with a good book and a cup of coffee.

Her favorite Scripture is 1 John 3:1-2, ESV.