Exodus 3:4b God called unto him out of the midst of the bush,

Yesterday during the pastor’s sermon it occurred to me that Moses never said yes to God. God asked many things of Moses and here are Moses’ replies.

v11 Who am I, that I should go; v13 what shall I say unto them?; v4:1 they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: v4:10 I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.

Nowhere in these scriptures does Moses say yes to God. Do you find that strange?

Moses rather than answer “Yes, Lord here am I, I will go.” as did Isaiah, Moses came down off the mountain and did what he was told.

I said yes to the Lord in 1964 but did not see the promises of God become real in my life until many years later, after I began doing what was asked of me.

Am I alone in this? Have you said yes to Jesus but haven’t seen any results for your yes?

Matthew 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

James 2:26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

Faith does not answer to God with its mouth but rather with its hands and feet.

Song of Solomon 4:3a Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet, and thy speech is comely:

I was talking to my wife on the phone today as I finished up running errands for her in town. She ended the call as she always does. “Bye, bye Hon.” The tone of her voice dropped low, sultry and her way of making me know I am loved without saying the words.

Many times we do not pay enough attention to the tone of our voices. The tone alone can either emphasize our words or destroy their effectiveness. Fair speech is more than the right words, it is how the words are delivered.

Job 6:26 Do ye imagine to reprove words, and the speeches of one that is desperate, which are as wind?

Job understood that personal situations could affect speech. Perhaps our hearts can be in the right place but are we in a peaceful place to be in control of the words we wield? The spiritual fruit of self-control has every bit as much to do with speech as it does behavior.

James 3:2 For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.

I am not yet perfected, but that is no excuse for careless speech.