I'm preparing for a speaking event next week - on the high seas! The retreat is on a Bahamian cruise, so please pray for no storm activity in the Atlantic next weekend! I'm excited about the cruise ship - I understand I'll have a cabin with terrific views. I'm excited about all the delish food that I won't have to cook. Of course, I'm excited about touring the islands and perhaps snorkeling. But I'm most excited about the potential for each of the women - including me - to come home with hearts that are larger than the ones we boarded the ship with.
As I prepare I'm relying on the verses in Exodus 4. In this chapter Moses is pleading with the Lord in verse 10 saying, "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..." Moses is getting exactly how I tend to get during the week leading up to a speaking event - overly focused on himself and his own ability. So God adjusts Moses' viewpoint a little in verses 11-12: "Who makes mouths?" the LORD asked him. "Who makes people so they can speak or not speak, hear or not hear, see or not see?" Is it not I? ...
As I prepare I'm relying on the verses in Exodus 4. In this chapter Moses is pleading with the Lord in verse 10 saying, "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..." Moses is getting exactly how I tend to get during the week leading up to a speaking event - overly focused on himself and his own ability. So God adjusts Moses' viewpoint a little in verses 11-12: "Who makes mouths?" the LORD asked him. "Who makes people so they can speak or not speak, hear or not hear, see or not see?" Is it not I? ...
"Now go, and do as I have told you. I will help you speak well, and I will tell you what to say."
Maybe you sometimes get this way too... trying to accomplish something in your own strength, forgetting who is it that made your strength in the first place. Today I pray: Lord, I release to You all my striving, worrying, and crazy self-effort. In faith I'm simply aligning myself with Your statements to Moses. I'm trusting You to help me speak well, to tell me what to say, and to order my steps on this trip and everyday. In Jesus' Name I pray.
As I posted this entry I noticed my last entry and the words I wrote last week: "making my supposed inability a barrier to obedience is like telling God that He has failed to realize reality correctly. When the correct reality is that I've not yet allowed Jesus to enable me to be obedient in that area." Hum ... I'm sensing a theme here! Today I'm choosing faith and obedience over worry and doubt. Care to join me?
Releasing "crazy self-effort"- I'm with you on this!
ReplyDeleteWe women seem to often get caught up with doing things on our own strength instead of tapping into the Ultimate source of strength - Jesus. Praying your trip went well.
ReplyDeleteHow well I know that God can give you the ability to speak!! Having a speech impairment (I have MS) sometimes makes it VERY difficult to talk, and yet, God still makes it possible for me to teach and to work with troubled kids. Our job is to trust Him.
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