Exodus 39

42 The Israelites had done all the work just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

43 Moses inspected the work and saw that they had done it just as the LORD had commanded. So Moses blessed them.

This is about talking and listening to God.

Moses had, if you like, the hotline to God. He listened to God, heard what He had to say and acted upon it. He then relayed what God had said to the Israelites. They listened and then went and did as God instructed.

It is very easy today to sit back and let everyone else in church do things. To tell ourselves that God never speaks to us, that He isn't interested in our prayers (especially not when A, B or C are right there praying), that what we do doesn't matter to God because in the overall scale of things, we are so small, so insignificant that God couldn't possibly be interested or really care. But really, when we listen to the little voice inside us telling us this, we are listening to the lies of the enemy and we are allowing him a foothold that could very soon become a stronghold in our minds and bodies.

God made each one of us unique, special, and He has a task for each one of us that no one else can do. We may feel small, insignificant, but God has counted the hairs on our head, we are fearfully and wonderfully made in His image, and He loves each one of us so much more than we could ever begin to imagine.

And it is just the same with the Israelites then as it is with us now. They could easily have sat back and let others do all the work, give all the gold, silver, precious jewels and cloth, telling themselves that so and so was a better seamstress, jeweller, potter, bronze caster (or whatever the word is!) , and so on. But each one gave as he or she felt led, and helped with the building of the Tabernacle.

Moses too could have sat back, told himself he was imaging hearing God and having all those detailed instructions given to him, but he was faithful to listen, to obey, to pass the details on.

They needed the right design for the Tabernacle, and they needed teamwork to get the Tabernacle finished. God empowered each one of them from Moses right down to the ones who felt they could only give time, or help making the refreshments rather than craft all the tools and equipment, sew the Tabernacle itself.

The church is a body of believers and we all have our part to play. What part are you playing in your church, or are you sitting back and letting everyone else volunteer first?