Stuttering for the 1st time was a total shock. In an instant, somehow the time signature in the rhythm of my speech switched without me, leaving me without even a quarter rest to catch up, all while my thoughts kept racing forward with the conversation. I was left embarrassed, confused, but oh so thankful it wasn’t an important conversation with a stranger. In the beginning when this happened, I would just opt to not talk for the day ignoring all phone calls & sometimes even texts. And when I did try to speak, I would just get frustrated to the point of tears. I loved talking & public speaking & there I was barely able to get 2 words out. Then I started to notice something about this odd rhythm. If I decided to use a different word than I had originally intended I could work around the mental block or if I sang it, I could work through the sentence. These techniques help, but they don’t exactly boost my confidence.
As we see in Exodus 4:10 Moses had his own issues with speech & confidence. Yet God sees something different in him, God made Moses so He knew every perceived flaw & gifting Moses had. And where the world would have discounted Moses’s ability to speak or lead, God saw great potential & a heart on fire for God’s truth, love, & justice. In fact Moses was said to be “educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians & was powerful in speech & action.” (Acts 7:22) Notice they didn’t say eloquent but powerful in speech, meaning God wasn’t worried with flowery words or fluidity, but the truth in love being communicated, that is what has true impact for great & wonderful change. And all of it was God given, not to mention God gave Moses help in the form of his brother Aaron for his big speeches, because after all we aren’t meant to do this alone.
Now if we fast forward a bit to Moses confronting Pharaoh with God’s & Aaron’s help, we are given a great illustration of the power of words. Moses makes his plea for freedom of the Jews & Pharaoh says no almost every time.

This goes on for about 5 chapters till Pharaoh’s last ‘No’ & the final plague happens & all the 1st born sons die. While this is a somewhat extreme case it definitely gives gravity to the verse “The tongue has the power of life & death, & those who love it will eat its fruit.” (Proverbs 18:21) Both Moses & this verse give us a lot to think about.
The power of words don’t stop at what you speak to or over other people, but also yourself. I have wondered what Moses’s ministry would have been like if he had stopped telling God & himself that he was a horrible pick for a speaker & leader? Would God have miraculously healed him or gave him moments of clear speech? Would he still have had speech issues, but would have learned the power of God isn’t just for big acts like plagues, but also changes in his heart too, teaching him self-worth?
Day 10 Challenge:
What about you? Do you believe that God can still use you, “flaws” & all?
Do you believe He has the power to work amazing things in your heart, mind & soul, not just physically?
Could you accept it if He chooses to only heal the unseen in your being rather than the seen?
Prayer:
Father, you say you made us including the deaf, blind, & mute. You made us all different & special. You cherish each & every one of us. Thank You for showing us that our limits & limited perspective aren’t Your limits or perspective. Help me to…