Called and Equipped by God

Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread. Our reading titled, Called and Equipped by God, was written by Karen Huang.

Your job for the International Book Expo, my boss informed to me, is to organize an on-site radio broadcast. I felt fear because this was new territory for me. God, I've never done anything like this, I prayed.

Please help me. God provided resources and people to guide me, experienced technicians and broadcasters, plus reminders during the expo of details I'd overlooked. In retrospect, I know that the broadcast went well because he knew what was needed and prompted me to use the skills he'd already given me. When God calls us to a task, he also equips us for it. In Exodus chapter 31, when he assigned Bezalel to work on the tabernacle, Bezalel was already a skilled craftsman. God further equipped him by filling him with his spirit and with wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and all kinds of skills. God also gave him an assistant in a holy ab, as well as a skilled workforce. With his enablement, the team designed and made the tent, its furnishings, and the priests' garments. These were instrumental in the Israelites' proper worship of God.

Bezalel means in the shadow or protection of God. The craftsman worked on the project of a lifetime under God's protection, power, and provision. Let's courageously obey his prompting as we carry out a task to completion. He knows what we need and how and when to give it.

Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Exodus chapter 31, verses 1 through 11. Then the Lord said to Moses, See, I have chosen Bezalel, son of Uriah, the son of Her, 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, to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver, and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of crafts. Moreover, I have appointed a holy ab, son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan, to help him. Also, I have given ability to all the skilled workers to make everything I have commanded you, the tent of meeting, the ark of the covenant law with the atonement cover on it, and all the other furnishings of the tent, the table and its articles, the pure gold lampstand and all its accessories, the altar of incense, the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, the basin with its stand, and also the woven garments, both the sacred garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons when they serve as priests, and the anointing oil and fragrant incense for the holy place.

They are to make them just as I commanded you. Let's pray. Father, thank you for equipping us with all that we need. When we're tasked with something we don't feel prepared for, help us to trust that you will lead us through your spirit, showing us which way to go and who you have chosen to help us. Thank you, Lord. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Thanks for listening today. My name is Joyce Dinkins and today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.