I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is Monday morning, 17th November 2025, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today.

We start in the Book of Exodus 36:7:

” …for the material they had was sufficient for all the work to be done—indeed too much.”

The people were bringing in the material to build the tabernacle but they brought in so much, eventually Moses had to say, ”Stop, there’s too much.” What a beautiful attitude! I think many of us need to take a good look at ourselves and ask if we are doing that very thing when it comes to the things of God.

Then we go to 2 Corinthians 9:7:

”So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.”

Today we want to speak about giving. When the Children of Israel began contributing to the building of the tabernacle, before the temple was constructed, God provided them with exact specifications. The people brought in the materials, and the artisans constructed the building. Here, I believe God is saying to you and me, we need to check our motive for giving. Why do we give? It’s so sad when I hear some men talking more about money than about anything else. Now it is a fact that you cannot out-bless the Lord. Our Father is a giver by nature. He gave us His only begotten Son so that we might have eternal life through faith in Him, and He gave His Son willingly, but if you are giving to the Lord expecting a return, like an insurance policy, that is not acceptable to God. We give to the Lord because we love Him, and God says He loves a cheerful giver. We give because He’s given us so much. 

Zacchaeus, remember the little man up the tree, when Jesus came to his house, and all the other tax collectors, the thieves were together, Zacchaeus said, ”I’m going to give up to 400 per cent of anything I have taken from anyone”. - just in gratitude for the salvation that he has received. You know, it’s not even the amount you give. Look at the widow, she only had a couple of cents. Jesus said she's given more than the man with the bag of gold, who had so much money.

We slaughtered 40 oxen to feed the men at the Mighty Men Conference in 2008, when we had the biggest tent in the world, for one meal folks. I can’t believe it either! We fed them for a whole weekend, but you know something? We never went short, and at the end of that event, everything we gave to the Lord, He gave back to us. We owed nobody a thing.

Today, give with a cheerful heart and the Lord will do the rest,
God bless you and goodbye.