DO IT SCARED

DO IT SCARED
Tuesday, August 22, 2023 by DONNA SCHLACHTER

Categories: devotional / GUEST AUTHORS / TUESDAY'S TREASURE

PLEASE WELCOME

DONNA SCHLACHTER

TUESDAY’S TREASURE

Do it scared is Donna’s mantra!

Life is full of uncertainties, and change seems to come at us a thousand miles an hour. Yet, we are still expected to respond normally, absorb tons of new information, and respond with good grace and courage.

Maybe, most of all, courage.

I don’t know about you, but all of this change, racing ahead to a new norm—one I usually don’t want—and figuring out how to do it without offending half the world in the process, is challenging.

Which tends to drive me back to my Bible to see how folks back then managed.

I’ve been reading several books lately to address some issues I have with me. The Loudest Voice in Your Life, Audacious, and Becoming Brave are the three I’m working my way through. In essence, I struggle with speaking negative thoughts, with being timid in my faith, and with digging my heels in when the Lord speaks. In truth, I am often afraid.

Do it scared is a mantra I’ve adopted, and I’ve found the best place to get encouraged and find out how to be brave in the face of a culture that is growingly anti-Christian is by studying the lives of characters in the Bible.

Let’s get one thing straight: unlike characters in a book or movie, these are real people we’re talking about. They all have a backstory, they’ve all had their hearts broken, and none of them (apart from Jesus Christ, the Son of God) are perfect.

I’ve been looking into the life of a woman named Jael. She’s found in the Book of Judges, a time when everybody in Israel was doing what they thought best. Just that statement should send a shudder down our spine. God said the heart is deceitfully wicked, so how could they—or we—expect anything less than disaster by following anything other than God and His word?

Jael was married to a man who had been an ally of the ruler of the country. She and her tribe/family lived out in the wilderness by themselves. Deborah, a judge, led the Israelite warriors into battle, and they defeated the ruling army, whose commander, seeing the defeat, took off on foot in the wilderness. He finds Jael and her family, and asks—um, orders—her to hide him. After Jael makes him comfortable, she kills him by hammering a tent peg into his temple.

Can you see the scene?

A flickering lantern. She’s alone in her tent. Her enemy is sleeping at her feet. If she lets him go, he will lead another army on another day to wage battle against her people. Next time, he might win.

She must do something. But what?

There is more to this story, much more. There are a few more verses, and you can find this story in Judges 4, and you can also see a story I wrote about this adventure here and choose the first button in the list, “The Enemy Within—Jael’s Story.” I hope you enjoy it!

So what lessons can we learn from Jael?

Be brave. Do it scared. Let God be the One who gives you praise.

Jael’s name and example are still used today, thousands of years after her heroic act. Her name is still synonymous with leadership, courage, and exceptional faith.

As we face uncertain times, we can stand secure knowing that God has everything under control, He has good plans for each of us, and when we walk with Him, we’re in the best place we could hope to be.

ABOUT DONNA SCHLACHTER

A hybrid author, Donna writes squeaky-clean historical and contemporary suspense. She has been published more than 60 times in books; is a member of several writers' groups; facilitates a critique group; teaches writing classes; ghostwrites; edits; and judges in writing contests. She loves history and research, traveling extensively for both, and is an avid oil painter. She is taking all the information she’s learned along the way about the writing and publishing process and is coaching writers at any stage of their manuscript. Learn more at https://www.donnaschlachter.com/the-purpose-full-writer-coaching-programs Check out her coaching group on FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/604220861766651.

Also, see her website, www.DonnaSchlachter.com Stay connected so you learn about new releases, preorders, and presales, as well as check out featured authors, book reviews, and a little corner of peace.

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