Exodus 38:1 “This is the sum of the tabernacle, even of the tabernacle of testi-mony, as it was counted, according to the commandment of Moses, for the ser-vice of the Levites, by the hand of Ithamar, son to Aaron the priest.”
Taking Stock
Do you know the exact number of forks, spoons, and knives in your kitchen drawer? How about the number of miles on your vehicle’s odometer? More importantly, do you know how many hours you will have in this day, in this month, or in this life?
The answers to some of those are trivial, but some of those are very important. The truth is, you can’t be a good steward of what you have if you don’t know what you have. There are some things we cannot know, but when it comes to the God-given gifts you have and matters of everyday life, you can’t steward what you don’t know you have. It is important to know “the sum of,” to take stock of, what you have.
It is important to take stock of what you have because God knows what you have. God knows what you have because He gave it to you! Do you remember the parable of the talents in Matthew 25? The master gave the talents and held the stewards accountable. Since God has given you what you have, that makes what you do with it mightily important!
Secondly, take stock because others have sacrificed for what you have. The brass laver in the tabernacle was literally made with mirrors that women had given. That is an amazing sacrifice! What if you had to give up your mirror for the work of the Lord?
I get letters nearly every month from people who heard my grandfather, Bill Rice, preach years ago. I haven’t done anything to gain their favor; it was handed to me! I want to be a good steward of what I have because my grandparents and dear friends like these ladies have sacrificed for what I now enjoy.
You will never be a good steward of what you have until you take stock of what you have. God knows what you have because He gave it to you, and others have sacrificed for what you have. Take time today to take “the sum of” what you’ve been given and set out to steward and use it well.