BIBLE READING: Exodus 35-37
Today we read again about Bezalel and Oholiab. They are two of the most famous names in the whole Bible. Right? Of course not. Were they priests? Or prophets? Or Apostles? No, they were two guys who worked with their hands. Yet Bezalel is the first person in Scripture to be described as “filled with the Spirit of God.” God says in Exodus 31:3 , “See I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills”
The Bible says he had all kinds of skills; to make artistic designs in gold, silver, and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood and engage in all kinds of crafts. “The Lord has filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge, and with all kinds of skills.”
Seeing all our gifts, abilities and skills, as being from God, is the solution for pride because we won’t give ourselves the credit and the solution for despair because we can know that God has not withheld from us anything that we need.
We should sit down and solemnly and honestly list all our gifts, skills and abilities, no matter how small… and say, “thank you,” “thank you,”, “thank you.” to God.
The other thing we notice about Bezalel and Oholiab is that they respond to direction from God. It’s God who did the choosing and the directing. In Exodus 36:1 and 31:2 God says, “I have chosen.” God does the choosing and they did the obeying.
It seems to me that God is always calling us to do something or grow in some area or respond in some way that we need to discover. Some of us know exactly what God is asking us to do and we’re just not being obedient. God spoke through Moses pretty clearly; But they could have said no.
What is your “yes”? What is your, “Here I am Lord, Send me!” What will it take for you to recognize the gifts that God has given you and use them for him? -Jon Dyer