From the desk of Pastor Ben
But Moses pleaded, “O Lord, I’m just not a good speaker. I never have been, and I’m not now, even after you have spoken to me, for I have a speech impediment.” “Who makes mouths?” Jehovah asked him. “Isn’t it I, the Lord? …”
                                (Exodus 4:10-11) NLT

For years, my wife had always shied away from public speaking. She often had very valuable insights on different things, yet her comfort zone was just to sit back and observe. This fear came from the fact that as a little girl, she would read in front of her father and he would make fun of her when she made a mistake. Sometimes, he would even slap her when she would read for him. It really affected her confidence to be I front of people.
Several years ago, she felt the call to minister to people in the name of Jesus as a speaker. She got an opportunity to speak to a ladies group and she was petrified. We prayed the night before, and she came home to share with me that everything went great. What had happened? When she stood up to speak, she remembered who had made her mouth and she allowed the Lord to speak through her instead of focusing on her past fears and failures — the same things Moses struggled with in today’s passage.
I on the other hand, have really never had any problem talking in front of people, but even as a minister over the years, I have found myself hesitant to share my faith, especially wit strangers. I never thought I had the right words or the right approach, and I greatly feared rejection. But over the years, I have learned that Jesus is the maker of my mouth — so I try to forget myself and trust Him to guide my tongue.

Faith Step:    Commit to listening to the Lord’s prompts in your spirit today as you go out into the world. Say what He tells you to say and trust that He will be with your mouth.