My Voice has Power
“Who in the world do
you think you are to second-guess God? Do you for one moment suppose any of us
knows enough to call God into question? Clay doesn’t talk back to the fingers
that mold it, saying, “Why did you shape me like this?” Isn’t it obvious that a
potter has a perfect right to shape one lump of clay into a vase for holding
flowers and another into a pot for cooking beans? If God needs one style of
pottery especially designed to show his angry displeasure and another style
carefully crafted to show his glorious goodness, isn’t that all right? Either
or both happens to Jews, but it also happens to the other people. Hosea put it
well: I’ll call nobodies and make them somebodies; I’ll call the unloved and
make them beloved. In the place where they yelled out, “You’re nobody!” they’re
calling you “God’s living children.”...
Romans 9:20-33 MSG
I have never cared for
the sound of my voice on an answering machine, it always sounded as though I was
talking through my nose. I’d try standing back a little further to adjust the
sound but it NEVER came out quite right, at least to me. My mom would say “You sound
fine. What’s wrong with the voice you have it’s the only one you’ve got”. I’d
shrug it off and stand there with my sister as proud as can be ready for the alternating
parts of: “You’ve reached the
Briggs residence. We are unavailable to take your call at the moment. Please
leave a detailed message and we will return your call at our earliest
convenience. Thank you and have a blessed day.”
As a little girl I
lived for the opportunity to simultaneously push down the play and record/pause
button on that brown and black AT&T answering machine.
Especially when my mom had to replace the tape, yes tape... all “voicemail” hasn’t
always been digital ya know. Although, I never thought I sounded good enough I
wanted to be heard by everyone who called. My mom let us leave the message from
time to time but she always wanted to keep us safe by not letting strangers
know children lived there. She would even tell us when we were home alone
“don’t answer this phone until you hear me on the answering machine telling you
it’s mamma and it’s safe to pick up.” She kept us and our voices safe. She
taught us to value our voice, to speak up when spoken to whether the answer is
right or wrong and be confident.
However, there have
been times I’ve hidden my voice, like when I pray for example. I like praying and
especially alone to myself. I know how to pray aloud and have done it since I
was a child. I’ve written down my prayers stood in the pulpit and prayed before
offering, prayed over dinner, prayed the car would start or for something as small
as my nanny’s white radio to start working again because I’d certainly broken it
AFTER she just said don’t touch it. But I never really prayed aloud to God, on some things that were major. Somehow over time, I hid my voice.
It wasn’t until
recently that this came full circle, like last week type of recently. My prayer group had a
prayer call and one day was open for someone to pray. I wanted to do it,. I felt
led to do it but didn’t. I didn’t think my prayer or me praying it was good
enough, I was afraid of how I’d sound. That maybe I wouldn’t know what to pray, so I
left it for someone else to do. That day was busy with doctor appointments and
family stuff but you know God will send His correction. I happened to get a
call from two of the main leaders of the call and I confessed why I didn’t do
it. Oh, boy did they lovingly smack my hands about how my perspective was wrong.
I’m thankful they did this but it made me wonder why God wants my voice what’s
so special about mine that He needs or wants it.
I felt like Moses when
he made all the excuses of why he couldn’t speak. I told God like He was
unaware “You know I had speech therapy as a child, people told and still tell me I
sound white when I talk; like that’s even a thing, you know I still stutter at
times and tangle words why me?” And then it hit me the enemy knows it’s power
in my voice otherwise he’d not try to have me hide it so much. God doesn’t care
about the what if’s or why not’s He wants my heart to be that of a servant to
Him and allow Him to use me not me use myself. God puts the words in my mouth
when I open it for Him EVERY-TIME! When I yield myself to write or speak what
He says versus sprinkling a little Jodie in I’m left in awe how a little word helps
somebody. It encourages them, it tells them they’re not the only ones who’ve
blown it, it makes them laugh, and most importantly it keeps them from giving
up. I know that’s not me but that is what happens when I release my sound into
this earth with my voice just the way He asks. That’s the power of God
breathing and moving and if I hide my voice even when people don’t agree and it
steps on their toes I’m doing Him a disservice.
May you be brave and
courageous in the Lord to release your sound and voice in this earth without
fear. May you be bold enough to soothe the hearts and minds of those waiting on
you like David did for Saul when he was tormented. There is no excuse you can
give God, no questioning that you could try to put Him through that would get you
off the hook. I know firsthand because I have tried it. Not only will He get what He originally asked out of you He will stretch you a bit further. Guess who is leading the prayer call
tomorrow morning AND has been asked to lead another one for someone else next Wednesday? This girl right here.
God isn’t giving
passes in this season, either you’re gonna come up higher or you’re not. Stop
asking for Him to use you or crying out you want to be used but when the time
comes you say “oh I cannot do that.” Myself included. My voice is powerful if it
wasn’t He wouldn't have given me numerous scriptures to back it up and even if He
didn’t provide any references who am I to argue with the one who created me?
Lord, forgive me for not seeing myself and my
gifts as you do. You created this whole world by speaking and that same power
lives in me. I will open my mouth, use my hands, open my arms, wear out the knees of my pants praying and soles of my shoes to bring you glory with that You’ve
entrusted to me. -Amen
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