I’ve been following the S.O.A.P. method for writing my devotions for some time, but today I thought I’d make it more obvious…<\/p>\n\n\n\n
SCRIPTURE:
“And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God.” (Luke 1:64, ESV)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
OBSERVATION:
In today\u2019s New Testament reading from Luke, Zechariah was made mute by the Lord for doubting the message of the angel Gabriel regarding the miraculous birth of his son, John. For nine months, he remained silent until the day of John\u2019s birth when God finally restored his speech. Filled with the Holy Spirit, Zechariah immediately used his voice to praise God and prophesy over his son.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ironically, today\u2019s Old Testament reading in Numbers tells a similar story involving a prophet, an angel, and an unexpected speaker. The Lord opened the mouth of Balaam\u2019s donkey, enabling it to speak and warn Balaam of the angel standing in their path (Numbers 22:28). When Balaam finally saw the angel, he was commanded to speak only the words the Lord had given him (Numbers 22:35).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These accounts may seem unbelievable to some, but they remind us of God\u2019s power over speech. As He asked Moses, \u201cWho gave man his mouth?\u201d (Exodus 4:11). The Lord can silence a doubting man or give voice to a speechless donkey. This truth calls us to be mindful of our own words. At times, it is better to remain silent, as Proverbs teaches: \u201cA man of understanding remains silent\u201d (Proverbs 11:12).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
APPLICATION:
God has given us the ability to speak, but He also calls us to use our words wisely. Like Zechariah, we should use our voices to glorify God rather than express doubt. Like Balaam, we should speak only what aligns with God\u2019s truth. And sometimes, wisdom calls us to remain silent rather than speak hastily. Today, let\u2019s seek to use our words to bless, encourage, and honor God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
PRAYER:
Dear Father, thank You for Your Word today. Teach us when to speak and when to be silent. May our words glorify You and bring encouragement to others. Fill our mouths with Your truth today. In Jesus\u2019 name, amen.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I’ve been following the S.O.A.P. method for writing my devotions for some time, but today I thought I’d make it more obvious… SCRIPTURE:“And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God.” (Luke 1:64, ESV) OBSERVATION:In today\u2019s New Testament reading from Luke, Zechariah was made mute by the Lord for<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":[],"categories":[],"tags":[],"scripture-book":[1309],"scripture-chapter":[1334],"oyb_day":[1601],"location":[],"class_list":["post-13129","oyb","type-oyb","status-publish","hentry","scripture-book-luke","scripture-chapter-1334","oyb_day-march-15"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/oyb\/13129","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/oyb"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/oyb"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13129"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13129"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13129"},{"taxonomy":"scripture-book","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/scripture-book?post=13129"},{"taxonomy":"scripture-chapter","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/scripture-chapter?post=13129"},{"taxonomy":"oyb_day","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/oyb_day?post=13129"},{"taxonomy":"location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/location?post=13129"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}