Day 6 - Man Living By Design

 

Day 6

Man Living By Design

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God specifically commanded and explained to Moses that there are certain people on the Israelite’s camp, whom the Lord gave the Spirit of God, ability and intelligence, with knowledge and craftsmanship; for a very specific and important purpose – and that is to make all the necessary Holy Things inside the Tent of Meeting and the Holy Place, where God meets the High Priest face to face. (Exodus 31:1-11)

Now, what can we learned from this?

As a child of God, God also designs us for a specific purpose, and every thing that God gave us is/are connected to that purpose. Everything outside that box is an abuse of our design or designation in God’s kingdom.

 

How to know and how to live by design?

In Exodus Chapter 31, the Lord enumerates the things that He had provided for His chosen vessels, and these are: (1) Holy Spirit, (2) ability and intelligence, (3) knowledge, and (4) Craftsmanship.

As I look closer on those things, I begin to ask myself, what is/are the things that I do know how to do on hand? Well, obviously, I graduated Accounting. That is secular knowledge. At home, knowing how to do the dishes or clean the house is also knowledge of doing house chores. Knowing how to use that knowledge and convert it into actual and practical scenarios, that is ability.

Whatever innate or acquired skills and talents we have are craftsmanship or artisanship. These includes writing or speaking.

Knowing how to utilize what we have to become productive is already intelligence in itself.

Combining these things and asking the guidance of the Holy Spirit of God to teach us practical ways on how to glorify God using those is already a practical and perfect way to live and walk by God’s design for us.

How do we abuse our design?

One basic way of abusing God’s design for us is to bicker and murmur. Instead of being, thankful to the Lord, we abuse our identity and design by trying to fit in into someone that we are really not, or trying to accomplish things offshore. Doing so, we not only disobeys God, but also frustrates our own self.

(Note: Israel murmured 10 times in the wilderness so God punished them and they failed to enter the promise land because of unbelief and disobedience – Book of Numbers, Hebrews 4:6)

Just imagine if Aaron tries to be Moses, and Moses to be Aaron – Israel’s camp would be in chaos! Remember how the troops of Korah, Dathan and Abiram were swallowed up by the ground because they tried to rebel and oust Moses.

Also, we can never forget that God hates people who are trying hard to be somebody. Just take King Saul for example. He offered unauthorized sacrifice to God, instead of patiently waiting, by faith, for Samuel to arrive and do so. The result? He was stripped off from the throne by God Himself and the Lord gave it to the more deserving person – King David, the man after God’s own heart.

We can also reminisce Nadab and Abihu’s arrogance. They are the sons of Aaron who were instantly killed by God on the same grounds as that of Saul.

Moreover, in the time of Nehemiah and Ezra, Tobias and many others who cannot trace their genealogy to the Jews were excluded on the Congregation of Jews who returned from Babylon.

Also, in Revelations Chapter 2:9 and 3:9, twice mentioned there that those who say that they are Jews but are not, belongs to the synagogue of Satan.

Meaning, if we tried to live otherwise as that of the life that God wants us to live, we also belongs to the synagogue of Satan.

Same way, if we say that we are Christians by name, yet we cannot prove it because we live otherwise, we also belongs to Satan and in hell.

To make it simpler, living by design is as simple as making handiworks to be use for God’s Tent of Meeting. In the New Covenant, we are God’s Temple and the Holy Place where God meets us in our hearts. Living by design is doing things to glorify God willingly and wholeheartedly.