Welcome to today's encouragement from our Daily Bread.

Our reading titled Using Your Voice was written by Jennifer Benson Schultt.

Since age eight, Lisa had struggled with a stammer and became afraid of social situations that required her to talk with people.

But later in life, after speech therapy helped her overcome her challenge, Lisa decided to use her voice to help others.

She began volunteering as a counselor for an emotional distress telephone hotline.

Moses had to face his concerns about speaking to help lead the Israelites out of captivity in Exodus 4. God asked him to communicate with Pharaoh, but Moses protested because he didn't feel confident in his speaking ability. God challenged him, who gave human beings their mouths. Then he reassured Moses saying, I will help you speak and will teach you what to say. God's response

reminds us that he can work powerfully through us, even in our limitations. But even when we

know this in our hearts, it can be hard to live it out.

Moses continued to struggle and begged God to send someone else, so God allowed Moses's brother Aaron to accompany him.

Each of us has a voice that can help others. We may be afraid. We may not feel capable. We may feel we don't have the right

words. God knows how we feel. He can provide the words and all we need to serve others and

accomplish his work. Today's Our Daily Bread Devotional Scripture reading is from Exodus chapter 4, verses 10 through 17.

Moses said to the Lord, pardon your servant, Lord, I have never been eloquent neither in the past,

nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue. The Lord said to him,

who gave human beings their mouths, who makes them deaf or mute, who gives them sight or

makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go. I will help you speak and I will teach you

what to say. But Moses said, pardon your servant,

Lord, please send someone else. Then the Lord's anger burned against Moses and he said,

What about your brother Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well. He is already on his way to

meet you and he will be glad to see you. You shall speak to him and put words in his mouth.

I will help both of you speak, and I will teach you what to do.

He will speak to the people for you, and it will be as if he were your mouth and as if you were God to him.

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