Rest assured that God will fully equip us to do his will.
Make ten curtains out of finely twisted linen for the holy tent. Make them with blue, purple and bright red yarn. Have a skilled worker sew cherubim into the pattern. Make all the curtains the same size. They must be 42 feet long and six feet wide. Join five of the curtains together… (Exodus 26:1-3)
I must admit that as I read through these detailed instructions for building the Tabernacle, I found myself fighting off sleep. Yawning in my drowsiness, I decided to cut short that day’s Bible reading as I needed to get to work. I was excited but a bit overwhelmed by a new project I had started. I had spent the last few days spinning my wheels trying to find direction, with more than one false start.
As I was closing my Bible, I had a brief flash of insight. I had almost missed the significance of the passage in front of me. God was giving the Israelites detailed instructions on how to do something they had never done before. They had never even seen a Tabernacle before. Kind of like my situation. Okay… I suppose my situation was really not that big a deal, but it was new to me.
In this instance, God gave instructions on dimensions, materials, colours, and design. In his foresight, God had even instructed the Israelites to take the required materials with them when they escaped from Egypt (Exodus 12:35-36; Exodus 36:3-7). What’s more, he also gave them the required skills. God filled workers with “the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, to design artistic works” (Exodus 31: 3-4).
Such a beautiful picture. God asked his people to build and then provided everything – materials and even the skills – they would need to build it.
The implication was not lost on me. Here I was working on a project that I believed was part of God’s work. If this work was important to God’s heart, then I should be confident that he would provide exactly what he provided to the Israelites: direction, skills, materials, and even a filling of the Holy Spirit for guidance.
Stop for a second and let that sink in. When we are doing God’s work, we can trust him to supply us with all we need. Yes, there will still be hard work, but the feelings of being ill-equipped and stressed shouldn’t overwhelm us. As we do the work, trusting in God’s guidance, we are instead filled with purpose, satisfaction, and gratitude.
Today, I challenge myself, and I challenge you, to ask God what he wants to build. Maybe it’s an outreach project, a piece of art, or a skill. Maybe it’s your health, a relationship, or a home. Whatever it is, start by seeking to know how God’s desires align with yours. Read. Listen. Pray. Thank him for providing you with all you need.
Now may the God of peace, … , equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. (Hebrews 13:20-21)
Comments