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Wednesday, July 24, 1996

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Jeremiah 1:1, 4-10
Psalm 71
Matthew 13:1-9

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right in the mouth

"My mouth shall declare Your justice, day by day Your salvation." —Psalm 71:15

The Lord has promised to place His words in your mouth, as He did for Jeremiah (Jer 1:9; see also Mt 10:20). From that day, He will "set you over nations and over kingdoms, to root up and to tear down, to destroy and to demolish, to build and to plant" (Jer 1:10). With God's word in your mouth, you will be a world force. In fact, the Lord will not only occasionally place a word in your mouth; He will fill it (see Ps 81:11) with His words of spirit and life (Jn 6:63). You will be like Samuel in that God will not permit any word of yours to be without effect (1 Sm 3:19; see also Is 55:11).

The Lord will make your mouth a powerful, glorious instrument of His righteousness (Rm 6:13), if you repent. You must cry out as Isaiah did: "Woe is me, I am doomed! For I am a man of unclean lips" (Is 6:5). The Lord will send an angel to touch your mouth with a burning ember (Is 6:6) and then He will say: "Now that this has touched your lips, your wickedness is removed, your sin purged" (Is 6:7). The Lord has promised you: "If you repent, so that I restore you, in My presence you shall stand; if you bring forth the precious without the vile, you shall be My mouthpiece" (Jer 15:19). You can be the mouthpiece of God.

Prayer:  Father, use every part of my body for Your glory. Control every part of my body through my mouth (see Jas 3:2-3).

Promise:  "Part of it, finally, landed on good soil and yielded grain a hundred- or sixty- or thirtyfold. Let everyone heed what he hears!" —Mt 13:8-9

Praise:  Sam, a professional athlete with a hereditary disorder, routinely meets with children who suffer from the same disorder in each city he visits. He witnesses to them about how Jesus helps him to overcome his disorder and encourages them to persevere.

Reference:  (For related teaching, order our leaflet, Seek Prophecy.)

Nihil Obstat:  Reverend Robert L. Hagedorn, November 29, 1995


Imprimatur:  †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, December 4, 1995