Speaking Hard Truths
By Jana Kelley
“Samuel lay down until morning and then opened the doors of the house of the Lord. He was afraid to tell Eli the vision, but Eli called him and said, ‘Samuel, my son.’ Samuel answered, ‘Here I am.’” 1 Samuel 3:15-16
I hate conflict. But a misunderstanding between two colleagues had escalated to the point that I was asked to help. I wanted to stay home and let them sort it out, or not sort it out. But these fellow children of God needed help and stepping in was the right thing to do.
Sometimes the truth is hard. I wonder if that’s what Samuel thought when he heard Eli call his name. The night before, God had revealed a message to young Samuel who worked in the temple of the Lord. This message was a difficult one because it foretold the destruction of Eli’s family, and Eli was the priest who had helped raise Samuel from the time he was just a boy.
Samuel waited all night after receiving the message from God. Perhaps he fretted about what he would say when Eli asked him about it the next morning. No amount of worry could hold back the sunrise, and when Eli awoke and called to him, Samuel answered and told the message.
Sometimes we encounter tasks that we don’t want to do or don’t feel equipped to do. That’s the perfect time to learn to lean on the Lord and His strength.
The day that I helped my colleagues navigate their conflict, I had to rely on the Lord and His wisdom. And, in the end, I could see how the Lord worked in their hearts so that He was the One who received the glory for the resolution.
When the right thing to do is the hard thing to do, ask the Lord for help and then trust Him.
Jana Kelley, a contributor to Wholly Loved Ministries’ devotional project, is a Texan who hardly ever lives in Texas. Raised in Southeast Asia, Jana developed a love for cross-cultural living early in life. Her love for writing came soon after. She and her husband married in college and by their second anniversary, they lived in a remote African town. After 13 years in Africa and the Middle East, they moved to Southeast Asia where they and their three boys currently live. Jana is the author of two devotional books and three novels. You can learn more about her at janakelley.com.
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