Devotional Song: … Go to this link … Please take the time to take in a video of the lyrics to Steven Curtis Chapman’s, very personal song… His Strength Is Perfect, declaring a reality of a God Who’ll provide His strength to cover our weakness. … AND THEN THIS LINK to hear Steven singing another song about God as our Hiding Place.
Highlight Passage Exodus 4: 12 [NKJV] …
12 “… Now therefore, go, and I [the Lord] will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall say.”
… The “Stage Director’s” pep-talk when Moses had a case of stage fright
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Highlight Context - Exodus 4: 10-17 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… Moses with “stage-fright,” afraid to get on God’s stage of deliverance
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Reference Passage #1 - Matthew 11: 28-30 [NKJV] ...
28 “… Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
… Afraid? - Let Jesus help you carry the burden.
Reference Passage #2 - 2nd Corinthians 12: 7-10 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK
… One big dose of God’s grace is sufficient when fear strikes.
Reference Passage #3 - Philippians 4: 6-7 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… God’s prescription for anxiety - PRAYER.
My Journal for Today: Today’s Our Daily Bread devotional entry, authored by Lawrence Darmani, reminded me of my first public speaking experience. You know, many surveys have revealed that the fear of public speaking is THE # ONE fear in our culture. Here’s a link to an article - http://www.ethos3.com/2014/10/glossophobia-101-the-fear-of-public-speaking/ - on that subject if you need documentation. Well my first encounter with that fear was in college when I took Speech 101. And when I had to do my first speech for the Professor and in front of the class, I was sweating bullets!!
But I did it, … and over time, doing it more and more, blunted the fear. Oh, I still get energized by a modest amount of stage-fright when I have speak in public; but I know now that I can take my fears to God and He’ll give me the grace to do what I fear, especially when it’s for His glory. That’s His promise (see the passages from His word above); and I believe it! I pray you do too.
We all have fears, don’t we? But some fears become phobias, where the fear begins to influence our choices and sometimes even paralyzes our lifestyle. And the Greek-influenced word for the abject fear of public speaking is “glossophobia” (see the linked article). And when such a fear grips our life, the glossophobic will do anything he/she can to avoid having to speak in public. And again, this fear, not necessarily to the point of a phobia, is said to be the #1 fear in our land.
But like all human fears, or even in the case of phobias, God has a prescription to provide His children with the strength to overcome our weaknesses, just as Steven Curtis Chapman sings in the linked songs above. And those who fear opening their mouths to witness their faith, or to share themselves verbally with others, can take that fear to the Lord and gather His grace which is always sufficient to give us the strength to allow us to do what we fear.
So today, if any here fear to speak out in witness to your faith, know that God will, as He did with Moses at the burning bush (see the Exodus 4 passage linked above), give you His words and His strength to overcome your fear of speaking out as a witness. Just like Moses, let’s just “GO” and trust God to give us His strength and His words to speak out for His glory.
My Prayer Today: Father God, in Your Son’s Name, I claim Your promise to give us Your strength to cover our weaknesses and fears. You are our hiding place! Amen
Blogger Note: Everyday during this year, my daily devotional blogs are influenced by the reading and study of the online devotional blog entitled Our Daily Bread, distributed online via email by RBC Ministries. If you GO TO THIS LINK on the date of my blog, you can read/study the ODB blogs; or you can subscribe to the blog via email at that site.
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