Exodus 30 & 31 -- Giving The Spirit For More Than Preaching

God was giving Moses lots of instructions about the building, setup, and use of the Tabernacle and its furnishings.  I imagine that at some point Moses probably thought, “Well, I can see in my mind what these things are to look like, but I’m a shepherd, not a metal worker.  How am I gonna get this done, God?”

In chapter 31, God provides the answer, “See, I have chosen Bezalel … I have filled Bezalel with the Spirit of God and have given him the skill, ability, and knowledge to do all kinds of work.”

I can just imagine somewhere in the camp on the plains below, a man named Bezalel standing there, going about his everyday tasks, and suddenly feeling the filling of the Spirit taking place, probably wondering what was happening and why.

The one thing we should understand from this is that Bezalel never preached.  He never taught a Bible lesson.  He never evangelized.  But he made himself available to be right where God wanted him, doing what God had called him to do with what God had uniquely gifted him.

In the same way, God has uniquely gifted each of us for some aspect of service.  We present Him on this planet.  We may never preach, either, but we can use our God-given skill, ability, and knowledge to His glory.

Father, I can get really frustrated at work with what seems to me to be nothing more than bureaucratic paperwork.  It happened yesterday.  Please open my mind to see what things are useful tools that I haven’t yet discovered, and help me to put them to use.  Remind me often that I am working for You.  That alone should remove my frustration.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford