Chosen By God

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, 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! "And I have personally appointed Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, to be his assistant. Moreover, I have given special skill to all the gifted craftsmen so they can make all the things I have commanded you to make: (Exodus 31:1-6 NLT)

My oldest daughter just returned home from college last night.  It's an exciting time in her life because she just graduated with her Associates Degree from Bible College.  Next year, she transfers to a new school to continue working towards a Bachelors Degree in Art, Interior & Architectural Design.  Wow, they grow up way too fast.

We've known she's had the art and design abilities from the time she was very little.  We didn't have to "teach" her to draw, sketch, or paint.  She just seemed to "know" how to do it at an age-appropriate level all the way through her life.  At times, she wasn't interested in pursuing the use of these talents, but now she wants to use them for His purposes.  We don't completely know what those are, but she continues to use them today while looking toward tomorrow.

Each of our children are differently gifted like this.  Our middle child has a pension for dance and music.  She has to work hard at it, but her heart's desire has carried her along to becoming an excellent performer and teacher at a very early age.  She's just now graduating high school.

Our youngest seems to have a predisposition to math, science and technical knowledge.  At the same time, he has a desire to fashion and use words accurately and powerfully to make his points.  This later desire is a bit ironic because he struggles the most with reading, spelling, and vocabulary - the building blocks of powerful language use.  He has all of these things in common with his father.

I share our family dynamic with you because Traci and I are convinced that our three children must have come from three different sets of parents sometimes.  They are so different.  That being said, we also know that they are put together by God for His purposes.  Our job, as their parents, is to help them discover these gifts, talents, and purposes.  It's actually a pretty fun part of the walk together with God.

Notice that the LORD specifically selected the craftsmen He wanted building the objects that would be used in their times of worship.  He knew who He had made with these specific gifts and talents.  Moses simply needed to get the people God had appointed to do these tasks.

What about you?  To what ministry have you been chosen by God?  Do you know what it is for today?  Do you know what you should be working toward for the future?  Are you being faithful to the call?