WHEN STANDING UP IS DIFFICULT

WHEN STANDING UP IS DIFFICULT
Tuesday, March 26, 2024 by DONNA SCHLACHTER

Categories: devotional / GUEST AUTHORS / TUESDAY'S TREASURE

PLEASE WELCOME

DONNA SCHLACHTER

TUESDAY’S TREASURE

But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” He said, “But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain” (Exodus 3:11 ESV).

My heroine, Lily, in Cactus Lil’s Big City Debut, Book 2 in the “Written in Love” series, is very much like any of us. Well, sort of. She’s a rough and tumble cowgirl, who can lasso a range steer or cut the head off a rattler with one shot. Plus, she writes romance novels. And she’s on her honeymoon in New York City, to sign a contract with her publisher who has also booked her on a speaking tour.

If you’re anything like me—and thus, something like Lily—speaking in front of a group of strangers is scarier than grabbing a rattler by the tail and not getting bitten.

When writing this scene, I was reminded of Moses. So many times, we see him as wise, strong, durable, just, and a lover of God.

But in the verse noted above, we see a different side of him. He is timid. Afraid to speak to authority. Wants somebody else to take the responsibility.

Standing to share a difficult message is rarely comfortable. In Lily’s case, the people she’s speaking to love her writing and want to hear more from her.

In Moses’ case, the Pharoah doesn’t want to hear what he has to say.

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where your audience is bound to dislike both the message and the messenger?

We don’t have to look very far back in our country’s history to find times when a political leader had to give us news we didn’t want to hear:

“We have elected a new president.”

“A plane crash killed all on board.”

“A pastor has fallen from his pedestal.”

“A much-loved actor has died.”

“There is a shortage of _________.” (you fill in the blank)

Moses was about to visit one of the most powerful men in the world and demand that a deity Pharoah didn’t believe in would ask that the Israelites be allowed to go free. Under ordinary circumstances, this shouldn’t have been so tough. Except, these same Israelites comprised the entire unpaid workforce of Egypt. Much like in the southern states where slavery was part of the economy, Pharoah would enrage practically the entire population of Egyptians by doing as God, through Moses, asked.

And although Pharoah said no over and over, Moses stood his ground. Although he tried to give God every excuse under the sun not to ask, God kept pushing him to obedience.

Standing when it’s difficult can be as simple as speaking up for a marginalized co-worker. It could be gently reminding a believer that their actions don’t glorify God. Standing might require us to step outside our comfort zone, such as in court or at a town hall meeting. Bringing a difficult message could involve terminating a relationship with a good friend because of their words or actions. It could be dealing with a difficult neighbor who refuses to respect your rights and the law.

There are many reasons why God might place us in this position, but the primary one is to test our obedience to Him. Not because He doesn’t know what you will choose, but because we need to know where—and on what solid Rock—we stand.

Don’t look for a fight where none exists, but seek to discern the voice of the Lord. And then to prayerfully consider how to speak and what to say. Trust that God will give you the words you need. Then leave the outcome up to Him. Moses couldn’t make the Pharoah do the right thing, but God could.

ABOUT CACTUS LIL’S BIG CITY DEBUT

Lily Duncan Golding—a.k.a. Cactus Lil—heads to New York City for her honeymoon and her publishing debut. Peter Golding—a.k.a. the City Slicker—arrives triumphantly in the Big City. Mission accomplished. He’s married the woman of his dreams—Daisy Duncan—even though she isn’t exactly as he’d imagined. In fact, she’s better.

But when they arrive and learn of Uncle Phillip’s mysterious disappearance, Peter and Lily are pulled into the dark underside of the Big City, then thrust onto the front pages of the newspapers as ‘persons of interest’ in the investigation.

Can they survive the onslaught of attention on themselves, their marriage, and the seedy side of the publishing industry? Can they survive? Period? Or can they discover who is behind this nefarious act, and save Uncle Phillip--and themselves?

Link: https://www.amazon.com/Cactus-Lils-Big-City-Debut-ebook/dp/B0CS7SV11H

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; 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 the publishing process and is coaching committed career writers.

www.DonnaSchlachter.com

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