When a “big” prayer is answered, our thankfulness is usually beyond words. Our hearts are filled with joy because we know God always cares for us. We stand in awe at what God has done, and our heart is stirred every time we remember that answered prayer.  These moments help fuel our motivation to trust God’s Word and to do His work.

With thankful hearts, the children of Israel were excited to build the Tabernacle after 430 years of praying for deliverance.  In Exodus 36, Israel has been rescued from Egypt and is now free to build God’s Tabernacle in the wilderness.  However, Moses only chose people “in whose heart the LORD had put wisdom…every one whose heart stirred him up to come unto the work to do it.” (Ex. 36:2) The Hebrew word for “stirred him up” is “nasa',” meaning “to lift.” The hearts of these wisdom-filled men were lifting/motivating them to do the work.  God had promised His very presence if the people obeyed and built Him a house. He was teaching them that to enjoy their freedom, they needed to obey His words. So men like Bezaleel (his name means “In the shadow of God”) and Aholiab (“Father’s tent”) were leading this special project. Many who could not build God’s House gave abundantly to the work, so much so that the builders told Moses, “The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work, which the LORD commanded to make.”  Moses had to order the people to stop giving, and there was still too much. (Ex. 36:1-7)

Shortly after Pentecost in Acts 2, the new believers joyfully sold their goods to give to those in need. (Acts 2:43-47)  Their joy in finding Christ and singleness of heart stirred them to serve each other.  The church of Macedonia was another group stirred for the work of the Lord. Paul bragged that even in poverty, the Macedonian believers gave themselves to the Lord and then gave above and beyond financially. (2 Corinthians 8:1-5)  Paul told the Corinthian church to open their hands like the Macedonians. 

We should be joyfully “stirred up” to do God’s work. Why? God saved our souls from slavery to sin and eternal torment. He promises to be with us! (Matt. 28:20) He hears and answers our prayers! (1 John 5:14-15) Let us join David in praise to God, “O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together… O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.” (Ps. 34:3, 8-9) Let us have this heart: “…I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.” (Ps. 84:10)