“I have called by name Bezalel…I have filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all kinds of craftsmanship, to make artistic designs for work in gold, in silver, and in bronze, and in the cutting of stones for setting, and in the carving of wood, that he may work in all kinds of craftsmanship.”

Someday I’m going to write a novel based on the life of Bezalel. Think about this guy. He spent all his life in Egypt, probably working as a slave apprentice to a jeweler of some kind. He probably made fancy artifacts for the pharaoh’s house; possibly he made idols for the Egyptians to worship. For years he learned the skills of metal and gem craft, of carpentry and craftsmanship. Then the Israelites are released and are wandering in the desert. This guy is out of a job. He has few marketable skills in the desert. He probably feels a sad that all that he has learned is now worthless. Then suddenly God says, “wait, all those years you spent learning how to make idols and baubles for the king; those were just practice to learn how to make the furniture for my house. This is going to take all the skills you learned, and all the talent I gave you.”

What has God been preparing you for? You’ll probably never know until it happens.