Gifted

"Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Look, I have specifically chosen Bezalel son of Uri, grandson of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. I have filled him with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, ability, and expertise in all kinds of crafts. He is a master craftsman, an expert in working with gold, silver, and bronze. He is skilled in engraving and mounting gemstones and in carving wood. He is a master at every craft!"  Exodus 30:1-5  My first significant project with a circular saw didn't go so well. Myself and another high schooler were tasked to build large sections of storage shelves. We had the plywood, the 2x4's, the hammers, the nails and of course, the saw. As the sawdust began to fly, the shelves began to come together. As we made our way through a particular piece of plywood, the saw hung up and I asked him to adjust the plywood while I continued to saw. Unfortunately, his adjustment resulted in the near amputation of his thumb. The subsequent trip to the emergency room revealed our status as anything except Master Craftsmen.

Bezalel, on the other hand, was a different story. This man had skills. He was a carpenter, a jeweler, a metal worker, a tailor ... You get the picture. Anything requiring hands-on labor, he was THE guy. Here we are told that his abilities were divinely given. How cool is that? The community needed these talents to build their place of worship and God provided them.

We may or may not share Bezalel's particular set of skills, but that's not the point. The point is that every person has a part to play in God's family. Everything that is needed to accomplish what God has directed to do has already been given or will be given at just the right time. Stand up a little taller, put your shoulders back and set a firm jaw. You matter. God has established you as an indispensable part of his plan. 

 Grace and Peace, Tom Wiles
tom@fallcreekchristian.org
Location: Fall Creek Christian Church, 1102 West 700 South, Pendleton, IN 46064, USA

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