I've been listening through the Old Testament on my nice Christmas gift lately on my way to school. About a week ago, I came across this passage about the construction of the temple and it really stuck out to me:
Exodus 35:30-35
Then Moses said to the people of Israel, "See, the LORD has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, with intelligence, with knowledge, and with all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold and silver and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, for work in every skilled craft. And he has inspired him to teach, both him and Oholiab the son of Ahisamach of the tribe of Dan. He has filled them with skill to do every sort of work done by an engraver or by a designer or by an embroiderer in blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, or by a weaver--by any sort of workman or skilled designer.
There were three things that caught me from this passage. First, it is amazing to me that God calls us by name. Out of the how many thousands, millions even of people in Israel, he called out two, Bezalel and Oholiab to design and build the temple. Also, He calls us to a specific work. This work doesn't even necessarily have to be "full time Christian service" or the ministry. He called these guys to be good artists to His glory. Lastly, He fills us with the ability to carry out His task for us. I have it bolded and italicized, as you can see, but it says three times that God either filled or inspired them. No matter what God has called us to do, even if it is, as in this case, chipping away at stones or sowing a large tarp together, God has given us everything we need to do it in the best way possible to His glory.
