When I was a young boy, I asked for one of those Charlie McCarthy dolls; the ones that sit on your lap and with a string the mouth is manipulated. I practiced not moving my lips and being able to transfer my voice to his. My mom and dad were my only audience. My jokes weren’t funny, even though they laughed. I must admit, I wasn’t any good at this new-found activity; but, I had a good time. My desire to be a ventriloquist extinguished about as quickly as it had been ignited in me – much to the pleasure of my parents, I am sure.

Luke 12:11, “When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.”

Sometimes we need to be God’s Charlie McCarthy doll. Sometimes we need to stop saying what we want to say and let God use our tongues to say what needs to be said.

Have you ever had to defend yourself at a time when you had done nothing wrong? I know I have; what made the difference for me is the faith to know that when we face accusers, God will come to our rescue. There is no need to fear or worry about what we will say, the Holy Spirit will tell us at the exact moment.

Today, recognize God’s ability to speak in you and through you. Allow Him access to your tongue. Give Him control; for who is better to defend you in your time of need than God?