Moses Excuses
But Moses replied to the Lord, “Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent—either in the past or recently or since you have been speaking to your servant—because my mouth and my tongue are sluggish.” The Lord said to him, “Who placed a mouth on humans? Who makes a person mute or deaf, seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go! I will help you speak and I will teach you what to say.” Exodus 4:10-12 (CSB)
Moses’ fourth excuse why God shouldn’t send him to Egypt is: I can’t speak well enough. God says: I made your mouth. I’ll help you speak. I’ll even give you the words.
I heard a story about a summer camp. It was a Christian camp. The kids went away for the week and did obstacle courses, studied the Bible, canoeing, and other fun stuff. At the end of camp they had a talent night with skits and music for the parents to see. Part of the tradition was that the kids would choose one kid to give a speech to the big room of people.
Sadly, kids are mean. They elected a young boy they had picked on the whole week. He had Down syndrome, and they thought the way he talked sounded really funny. The night came, and the talent show happened. And the room was filled with parents. The little boy with Down syndrome nervously got up to give his speech. The room was tense. Just then this nervous, Down syndrome sounding voice sounded in the room. Everyone heard him and understood the message. With his clumsy tongue and with a drawn out cadence that certainly wasn’t eloquent, he said, “Jesus loves me. And I love Jesus.” And the room was wrecked. There wasn’t a dry eye in the place. God had taken an ugly act, and through His word had spoken to the hearts of all present.
The Lord says, “I made your mouth. I’ll help you speak. I’ll even give you the words.”
O Lord, give us the words to speak and the humble heart to speak them faithfully to Your glory. Amen.