Jeremiah 1:9 – “Then the LORD stretched out His hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me, “Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.”  NASB

When I first became a Christian, I noticed something interesting in many preachers that prompted me to inquire of the Lord and seasoned veteran ministers about what I was seeing.  I saw and heard men standing in the pulpits emulating the current famous preacher or prominent minister in the denomination they were associated with.  I wanted to know if that was how it was supposed to be done. 

Later the Lord impressed upon my heart that He was calling me into the ministry, and I, too, would preach the Gospel.  Since the common practice was to copy and mimic the mannerisms, speech, and messages of the current flavor of the month preacher, I tried that.  I tried it but didn’t like it.

Although I began simply speaking what I felt God would have me say, I soon morphed into doing what I saw others do and failed miserably at it.  It was distasteful, disappointing, and most unsatisfying for me and, I’m sure, for those hearing me speak. 

So, I went to prayer and asked the Lord for a clear directive and felt that the Holy Spirit whispered in my heart – “I want you to be a voice, not an echo.”  That resonated with me in a way that I cannot find words to describe adequately.  It was what I desired all along without really knowing that was it.  Later the Holy Spirit whispered – “I don’t need copies; I need people who will be obedient to what they hear and speak what is in their hearts with passion and compassion.”  That became the foundation of the ministry God gave me and has remained so through the years.  My driving desire is to be A Voice and not an Echo! 

I do not want to speak about GOD; I want to speak for GOD or on GOD’S behalf.  I want to say only what the Holy Spirit whispers in my spirit, not the latest and most popular subject, topic, or method.  I have found that no matter how simple and seemingly shallow that message, it gets results. 

On the occasions I have copied someone else, it was like rain on a tin roof, and I accomplished about as much.  God did not call any of us to be an echo; He called us to be voices speaking what He has spoken to us through prayer, the Word, and the Spirit of God.  It is my heart’s driving passion and desire to have a Now Word relevant to the current congregation, situation, and need.  God knows where the people I speak to are spiritually, emotionally, relationally, etc.  He knows every detail of our lives and sometimes uses other people to speak words that provide the needed help even though they had no idea what they were saying had that effect.

So, as you go through your days here on earth, seek to Be a Voice rather than an Echo.  Allow the Holy Spirit to speak through you to whatever situation might be before you.  You don’t have to understand it. Just be obedient to His nudging and urging.  That’s the desire of the Father for each of us.

May the Lord bless and be with you as you go through your day!