A Spirit of Skill

This packs a wallop.******************************************************************************************* Ex 28:3: “You shall speak to all the skillful, whom I have filled with a spirit of skill,….”******************************************************************************************************** This passage stopped me in my tracks for some reason that we will unfold together tonight. It wouldn’t let me past. So I got up and came in here to talk to you about whatever the spirit calls me to say. God help me. ****************************************************************************************************************************** How many times in your life have you had the grace to tell someone that they are gifted by God with a certain talent or skill? Oh, lots, I’m sure. But do we really fully understand the depth of that little blurb “a Spirit of skill.” ************************************************************************************************************************** I am in awe of talent. I love going to museums and seeing the endless paintings that someone poured out their insides for the benefit of all to see. I have sat in front of paintings in wonder at the realistic expressions of the moment that they captured on canvas. I couldn’t for the life of me draw the outline, let along infuse those lines and shadings and color with heart and soul. Knowing all along, ‘God put that there.’ God personally chose that spirit of skill to seep into their very being. They felt what He needed them to feel in that moment to be able to pour it from their hands onto the canvas. **************************************************************************************************************** I love music. All kinds too. I grew up with the latest hits from WLS Chicago station at a time when people in my tiny unincorporated town called it devil’s music. Why, I remember Wolfman Jack and “The Midnight Special” music show. The emotions that created it, the hands that poured it out in performing it, the voices that carry it with such perfection to the rest of the world…. I love it all. When I was on my own and around 17 years of age, (best guess) I acquired an album of Mozart’s music from my local grocery store. (I also acquired an entire set of china for the first time in my life, from that same store.) (Anywho, I digress.) I would crank on Mozart every time I cleaned my house. I thought it the most fantastic, beautiful music that I had ever heard in my life. I continued to add that to my repertoire whenever I need to escape. I, to this day, get swept away by the Old Classical music like that. God did that. Every emotion that feeds every single musical note and moves across the airwaves to fill all within earshot with such emotions… That is powerful.********************************************************************************************************** Artists of all fashions: scupltors, carpenters, metal workers, basket weavers, and all manner of skilled artisans who God chose to give the gift of expression. Architects, financiers, doctors, nurses, chefs, bakers, care takers, factory workers, field workers, cashiers, service people; true God fearing Christians who serve others tirelessly for all the right reasons with the right frame of mind, and all manner of people whose God given skill serves a very specific and vital purpose in the entire scheme of things. ************************************************************************************************************************************************************ You may be empathetic, love others, have the gift of giving, nurturing, listening, caring for, praying for…. Those aren’t random learned ‘acts.’ They are from His spirit of skill that YOU were hand picked to deliver to HIS people. ***************************************************************************************** Oh, I know, people think they got that on their own by ‘hard work and determination.’ Right? Yeah, me too back in the day. I was very good at my job(s) It is what helped develop my sense of self-worth for the first time in my life. “I” excelled. “I” got a promotion. “I” wrote the instructions. I, I, I. And I would give God credit when it was convenient in current company. But my ego said I took the credit. I really let that go to my head. He had to reign me in so many times. And he did.******************************************************************************************************* Over time, He proved to me that He was with me. He gave me grace when I didn’t deserve it. He guided me when I didn’t listen in the first place. He prompted me so strongly to do certain things in my life that have proven a major benefit to me. He rescued me from multitudes of evil clutches (when I listened). He created me from the beginning and do I really think that He doesn’t have a hand in every single cell in my body, in my purpose, in my destiny? ********************************************************************************************************************************************** We really do have a purpose, you know? Every single person in this life is made specifically for a God ordained purpose. Even those of you in the streets and shelters and going hungry right now. You are not really empty or worthless. Though the dark world measures you as such. You didn’t live a life to know this but I am sure if you are reading this He is behind it. What is your ‘spirit of skill’? He gave every single one of you something. Do you know that even sitting as you are, in your mess as Jelly roll sings, He is using you to His purpose. Maybe people walk by and your suffering softens their heart just a little bit more so God can work on them too. Maybe you cried out to God, like I did in my ignorance, and demanded He fix this, when “this” is a mess of our own making that He tried showing us was not safe; not His desire for your life and we ignored him. And He can certainly guide you to everything He has for you, even still, if you are willing to let go of your free will and give yourself to Him. *********************************************************************************************** The problem with our lives has never been God. He breathed life and possibilities into our very souls. No. The problem with our lives is free will. We use and abuse free will til it destroys us and then we cry to Him to fix it. For some of us, it is the only time that we talk to Him. And you know what He does? He listens. He leaves the 99 to chase the lost 1. ******************************************************************************************** Mat 18:12-14: “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he will rejoice over it more than over the ninety-nine that didn’t wander away! In the same way, it is not my heavenly Father’s will that even one of these little ones should perish.” ********************************************************************************************************************************* So… I guess that is what He wanted. He can tell me when I see Him. I hope it helps even one of you to understand His love for you.