Well, this week we’re back to the Book of Exodus. Actually I am — you probably haven’t left. As you probably haven’t noticed, I’ve been out of the pulpit for the last month (General Assembly, visiting family, and pneumonia will do that). But I’ll be back this week and preaching from Exodus 31, a chapter with two parts that seem dramatically different, but really aren’t. It starts with God’s calling of two master craftsmen to build and implement His design for the Tabernacle. God appoints these Bezalel and Oholiab (great names for your next kid) to get One.Thing.Done — Build My Tabernacle.

Have you ever wondered if God made you and chose you and equipped you for a specific work? We talk a lot about God-given abilities, talents, skills, and giftedness, but what if God put you on this planet to get One.Thing.Done? He may take twenty, thirty, or forty years to prepare you to get this One.Thing.Done, but then that day comes and God says, “I’ve appointed you for this task and I’ve given you the ability to get this One.Thing.Done.” What would you do? I’m just guessing, but I think you’d probably go to work and get that One.Thing.Done.

The reality is that we all would like God to give us, Exodus 31:3b, “ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship.” That sounds good. I’ll take that. But truth be told, we want those things to do the things we want to do, not necessarily the things that God wants us to do. And certainly not to get His One.Thing.Done. “But Lord,” we complain, “That’s not really what I had in mind. I was thinking more like doing this other thing. Wouldn’t You rather have that instead?”

And how does God react to our agenda? How does God react when His will for us is crystal-clear, but our obedience to His revealed will is murky, cloudy, and unclear? Those are the kind of questions we’ll be working through together this Sunday. I hope you’ll be there! Dr. Dave