The Lord said to Moses, “See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every craft.
– Exodus 31:1–5
Are those not amazing verses? God is talking about this man, Bezalel. And in the very next verse after what I finished reading in verse six, he talks about the same thing with a man named Oholiab. Then he talks about all able men, how God has given these men, these people, skills, ability, intelligence, knowledge, craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold and silver, to carve wood, to work in all kinds of different crafts.
Exodus 31:1–5 shows how God provides ability and intelligence for work.
What a perspective we need on the world when we look around us and we see just craftsmanship. Think about the house you live in and how it’s built. Think about cars you drive or ride in. Or think about a plane that you might fly in. All of the craftsmanship that makes a house or car or plane or so many other things possible is given as a good gift by God himself. Nothing ultimately comes naturally. It’s supplied by God and his Spirit, the ability, intelligence, knowledge, and craftsmanship to create and manage to make the world work, it all comes from him.
So see this in your own life today. Think about any and all work you do today, or even if you’re a student going to school, all of it depends on God to give you ability, intelligence, knowledge, and craftsmanship. You can’t work today without God providing for you to be able to work. You can’t learn today without God providing for you to be able to learn. So live today in dependence on God and in thanksgiving to God for the gifts and skills he gives. And not just in your life, but when you see artistry, craftsmanship, when you see others working in ways that are good, give glory to God for that work because it’s ultimately God who’s providing that work.
Exodus 31:1–5 shows that all work can glorify God.
And then I want to make this connection with praying for unreached people like we’re about to pray for. It is so important for us to realize how work is an avenue, a critical avenue through which the goodness and the gospel of God spread through our lives as we work in all kinds of different domains. It’s really good that not everybody’s a pastor or a leader in the church.
We need doctors, nurses, teachers, engineers, and workers of all different kinds… In so many different walks of life and domains… White-collar jobs, blue-collar jobs, whatever it might be. Followers of Jesus working in ways that bring glory to God and open doors for the gospel to spread through every domain in society and for those doors to be open in unreached places in the world where, well, I’ll just share with you as a pastor, I can’t get into a lot of these unreached places in the world that we pray for, but many of you can through work.
I think about so many different people who’ve taken jobs overseas or whose jobs have taken them overseas, even just on short-term kinds of trips, work trips. But if you’re a follower of Jesus, those are just avenues for the gospel to spread through you in all kinds of other places. So let’s pray accordingly.
God, help us today to work in all kinds of ways… Whether it’s going to school, whether it’s doing a job, whether it’s taking care of children… Whatever it might be. Help us to work today with the ability, intelligence, knowledge, gifts, the skills that you provide. God, we need you for everything good we might do today. And we praise you for your goodness and all the work being done around us today. And God, we pray that our work in all kinds of ways today would provide open doors for the gospel to spread through us where we live all around the world to unreached people.
Prayer for the Taga People
God, we pray for the Taga people of India… For all 250,000 of them who are yet to be reached with the good news of your love. God, we pray that among all the domains, the types of work, vocation where Taga people are… We pray that you would fill those domains with followers of Jesus filled with your Spirit. Workers who would do excellent work by your Spirit. And who will share the gospel, the good news of your love, grace, and your mercy in Jesus with them.
Oh God, help us to work today with all our hearts… Like in Colossians 3… Not as working for anyone else… But ultimately as working for you alone by the grace that you provide. In Jesus’ name, we pray according to Exodus 31. Amen.
David Platt serves as a Lead Pastor for McLean Bible Church. He is also the Founder of Radical, an organization that makes Jesus known among the nations.
David received his B.A. from the University of Georgia and M.Div., Th.M., and Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Some of his published works include Radical, Radical Together, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Don’t Hold Back, and How to Read the Bible.
He lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area with his wife and children.
