Daily Lesson for April 7, 2014

Today's Daily Lesson is from Exodus 4:

10 But Moses said to the Lord, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.” 11 Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.”

When I was in eighth grade I ran for Vice President of the 9th grade student council. Things were going well at first. I was already one of the popular kids, my platform was good, and I had a great campaign slogan - "Price for Vice". There was just one problem; I had still to do the one thing that terrified me most - give a speech.

I was so terrified I didn't know what to say. I was too ashamed to ask for help from anyone, and so out of fear I put off writing the speech until the night before. Out of sheer humiliation I did not practice it before anyone - not a friend, not a parent, and not even myself before a mirror.

When Election Day came I wanted to throw up all morning. Just before the candidates walked onto the stage I actually prayed to God that I could be beamed somewhere else - anywhere else; I prayed I could be anyone else. We walked out onto the platform and I stood before the whole student body and I just wilted. During my speech I shook and I stammered and and my right leg took on a life of its own with a nervous twitch that was half Elvis and the other half mechanical paint mixer. I sweated. I turned red. I misread. And I never once looked up from my paper - not once.

Of course, I lost the election; and when I did I vowed that I would never ever again speak in public.

As you know, I am a preacher now; by God's grace I am a preacher. And while there are still times, even now, when I revert back to that scared, shaking, adolescent boy, afraid to walk out on stage, I remember that it is the LORD who made man's mouth. And it is the LORD who gives speech. And it is the LORD who puts the words He would have me to say on my tongue.

And not my words on my tongue only, but your words on your tongue also.