God’s Calling to Write

by Ruby Cline Lee

Has God ever used a tedious or “dry” part of the Bible to speak to you about writing? For
me, it was Exodus. This book shoots out of the gate with exciting visual pictures: the
Jews in captivity. Plagues. Disaster. Thousands of slaves marching triumphantly then
pining for garlic. God parting the Red Sea. Manna and quail. Add to that the excitement
of Mt. Sinai and the Ten Commandments—Aaron and the golden calf.

Alvord Desert south of the hot springs.

But then the book ends with a lot of detailed instructions, from forging the Ark of the Covenant to making lampstands, altars, ephods and . . . (yawn). I went from being captivated by the narrative to zoning out when they joined five curtains to one another and made loops on the edges. In an attempt to recoup, I backed up to chapter 31:1-6 and this little nugget caught my eye: “Now the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ‘See, I have called by name Bezalel . . . And I have filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge . . . so that he may work in all kinds of craftsmanship.’”

It goes on to say God also called a man named Oholiab. Then it struck me—not only had God called these men, but He had equipped them to do His work.

I knew God was trying to get my attention. I knew He had called me to write and
equipped me with the ability. But just like Bezalel and Oholiab, I need to be willing to
put my skills to the grindstone. Thus, in 2021, I took a leap of faith and “paused” my
career to focus on writing. At that time, I was hopping with excitement. Four years later,
I’m driving the struggle bus.

Along the way, there have been numerous obstacles. Health problems. Family demands.
Life. Insecurities, distractions, and my distinct ability to feel totally overwhelmed at the
thought of writing a novel, let alone all the other things (marketing, proposals, platform,
etc.).

Why does it feel like the more I learn about what it takes to be an author, the more I sink
in the quicksand of details and the mire of being overwhelmed? Enter: Exodus.

Today, in a dry and routine portion of my journey as a writer, God used a seemingly dry
and routine portion of scripture to bless me. God reminded me that, just like He had
called Bezalel and Oholiab, He had called me: “Ruby Jane Cline Lee” by name.

I may be nobody to the world, but I’m somebody to the God of the universe. I don’t have
book contracts, or platform, or fame, or, well, anything. I feel like I’ve got “nothing”
when it comes to being an author. Except . . . I have the calling of God on my life to
write. It’s in my bones. It flows through my blood—the need to put words on paper.
If you, too, have felt the calling of God on your life to write, I hope you will be
encouraged to believe and trust that you have been called by your very own name.

As for me, I’m not going to give up and I hope you won’t either. I hope the next time you
are feeling discouraged or hesitant, you’ll pray and read His word. He just might
encourage you with a surprisingly obscure passage like Exodus 31. After all, the God of
the universe has called us by name—just like Bezalel and Oholiab—to complete His holy
work of reaching people through the gift of writing.

Since Ruby Cline Lee was a little girl, she has been obsessed with books, which led to her love of reading and writing. She has a M.Ed. In Teaching English from Liberty University and has taught composition and literature classes at LU as well as Central Virginia Community College. Visit Ruby on her website, X (Twitter) or Instagram @RubyClineLee or Facebook.