My Main Incentives to Write by Wendy L. Macdonald

God’s nudges are my main incentives for showing up to write each day. My journal is my drawing board for most of my nonfiction writing. It’s where I record my faith journey—and my faith failings.   
One of my main incentives for writing is described in a verse I fell in love with while working through a Beth Moore Bible study. It encouraged me to write for a particular reader. Hints of what my brand should be have shown up at various times in my life, but this verse solidified it:

The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, 

because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. 

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,

 to proclaim freedom for the captives

 and release from darkness for the prisoners.

 Isaiah 61:1 NIV

Each morning I choose a verse of the day from the passages of Scripture I’ve read. I don’t follow a strict reading plan. My simple read-through-the-Bible method is: Place a sticky note in the New and Old Testaments to mark where I’ve read to. Some mornings I read several chapters. Other mornings I may only read a few verses. On particularly stressful days, I skip my reading routine and dip into the Psalms for spiritual refreshment.

After choosing a verse, I record it in my journal and write a poem based on it. Later, if the poem is worthy to be shared, I edit it and schedule it and the Scripture verse on my author Facebook page with a nature picture I’ve taken. Often, an entire blog post or podcast is birthed from one of my verses of the day.

God’s Word is literally a lamp for my pen. When I show up and read it, His inspiration shows up too.

My heart is overflowing with a good theme: 

I recite my composition concerning the king;

 my tongue is the pen of a ready writer.

 Psalm 45:1 NKJV

The Spirit of the Lord is on me,

 because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. 

He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners

 and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free… 

Luke 4:18 NIV

I’m nosy-to-know what Scripture verse has been the most incentive in your writing life.

Blessings ~ Wendy Mac

Reason for Writing - Wendy L. Macdonald

     I remember the moment I realised my reason for writing: It happened when a Bible verse jumped off the page of a Beth Moore book I was studying with a group of ladies at my church. Before that moment, I suspected I was supposed to head in that direction, but I hadn’t experienced a specific word or leading until then.

     Although I already had an arsenal of favourite Scripture verses I memorised for my battle against eating disorders back in the 1980’s, I hadn’t found what many call a “Life Verse.” And although I enjoyed selecting a verse of the day and a verse of the year, I hadn’t chosen my forever one.

     But as I recently worked on a podcast draft for HopeStreamRadio, the verse I noticed during the Beth Moore Bible study came to mind and reminded me it not only applied to Jesus, but to all who believed on His name, because we’re to be filled by Christ, empowered by Christ, and imitators of Christ.

      A Christian is defined as one who follows Jesus. To follow Him is to do as He did, which is to be a fisher of men—as He called His disciples to do. Part of being a Christian fisherman is to instruct and build up the body of believers.

Are you curious—yet—as to which verse I’m alluding to?

     Here it is: Isaiah 61:1 NIV

The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,

 because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.

 He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives

 and release from darkness for the prisoners.

     When I read this verse in the context of Christians being called and anointed to do as Christ did, it sent shivers of inspiration though my spirit. I long to live as one who binds and builds up broken people because I’ve been blessed with healing through the Word and through the words of those God used to help me overcome darkness. And as a result of my own rescue from eating disorders, depression, and infertility:

 My faith is not shallow because I’ve been rescued from the deep.

     There are a lot of people drowning in disorders. There are a lot of rescues still in need of happening. I write because I want to be part of the rescue efforts. Sure it’s humbling—even humiliating at times—to share my story. But I thank God for the brave people who didn’t just recover from the darkness and hide the Light under the pew they sit on each Sunday. We’re to share what the Lord has done for us so that others may believe and glorify God too.

I’m glad I needed a rescue because now I know the Rescuer.   

     This is the reason I write. I’m nosey-to-know what yours is?

 The LORD is close to the brokenhearted 

and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

Psalm 34:18 NIV

     Rescued from the deep blessings ~ Wendy Mac

a white down feather

 fluttering in surrender

 I kneel before God

 for He comforts broken hearts

 and lifts the low in spirit

~ wlm

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Wendy L. Macdonald is an inspirational blogger and podcaster who loves to photograph nature on Vancouver Island. She hopes you’ll visit her “Daily Bread” style Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Her byline is: “My faith is not shallow because I’ve been rescued from the deep.” Her main website is wendylmacdonald.com where she enjoys interacting with readers.

Writing from the Heart - Wendy L. Macdonald

    

I don’t remember many details from lectures and sermons I’ve heard; however, there’s one thing that always captures my attention enough for it to stay embedded in my heart and mind. But before I share that with you, let’s dig into the theme for February.

     How does my writing, blogging, and podcasting offer the hope and redemption of God? I’m a storyteller. Through fiction and memoir writing, I share the hope, healing, and comfort I’ve found in Jesus Christ. Years ago, the Lord delivered me from eating disorders; and as a result: 

My faith is not shallow because I’ve been rescued from the deep. 

  

     I tried—really tried—to rescue myself. But as a young adult, I turned away from my shallow faith and fell into deep darkness. If my faith had been well-rooted to begin with, I believe I wouldn’t have turned away from His Light. But turn away I did.

     I also walked through a dark decade of infertility. I know what it’s like to have hope dashed month after month, year after year. In my despair I eventually learned to trust God to comfort me and enable me to stop hiding my disappointment from Him, myself, and others.

     I’ve also recently uncovered a mystery from my past that I hope to share one day. For I received comfort and healing to believe I’m good enough under the blood of Christ despite abuse and neglect I suffered earlier in life. 

     Rescue and recovery are huge themes in my heart. And a few years ago, when I participated in a Beth Moore Bible study that centered on Isaiah 61:1, I realized afresh why this passion to preach recovery in Christ is strong in me; it’s because it’s foundational to God’s vision for us too.

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.

 Isaiah 61:1 KJV

     If Jesus was anointed to preach Good News to the broken, then His followers are too, as it says in Ephesians 5:1-2 NIV:

Follow God's example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

     In response to my from-the-heart memoir sharing, I’ve had people thank me for being honest—for being real. When we dare to write deep, it reaches readers’ hearts. Our vulnerability softens the spirit of the suffering and enables them to receive God’s healing touch at the core of their own brokenness. When we inspire others with our recovery story, they aspire to enter recovery too.

 

Our stories tells others with similar experiences they’re not alone.

    We shine His hope into their dark present when we expose our dark past. We were comforted so we’d point to the Comforter. We weren’t intended to simply stay comfortable; we are instructed to play the role of a compass directing others to the Source of healing. 

Who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.

 2 Corinthians 1:4 NIV

They won’t know if we don’t tell.

     And when we do tell a personal story, rather than just share a lecture, devotional, or sermon, it will stay with the listener for years to come. For as I mentioned at the beginning of this post, some things stick to the heart forever. 

Have you recently written about a time when God comforted you during a troubling season?

I’m nosy-to-know.  

Blessings ~ Wendy Mac   

Preparing for His Coming—Janet Sketchley

I’ve been working through Beth Moore’s A Woman’s Heart workbook with my Bible study group at church. Gotta say, it’s challenging in places.

Right now we’re looking at the detailed instructions from God—to be followed to the letter—for preparing and consecrating the Tabernacle and its contents and the priests and their garments.

Repeatedly we see reminders that Moses and his workers did exactly what they’d been told by God to do in regard to the Tabernacle. Leviticus 9:6 (NIV*) says: “Moses said, ‘This is what the LORD has commanded you to do, so that the glory of the LORD may appear to you.’”

God, in all His holiness and majesty, wants so badly to be with His chosen people. But the gap between His holiness and human wilfulness is so great that Exodus 33 begins with God saying He won’t travel with them anymore “because you are a stiff-necked people and I might destroy you on the way.” (Exodus 33:3b, NIV*) (This is right after the golden calf debacle.)

Moses pleads for God to stay with them, and God agrees. He gives Moses a new set of the Ten Commandments, along with instructions on how to build the Tabernacle.

The people of Israel have a lot to do to prepare for God’s coming. And when He comes, it is terrifying as well as exciting.

Here in 2010 we’re working through the Advent season, preparing to celebrate Jesus’ coming into the world as a baby.

There’s something about reading the Scriptures detailing the preparations for God’s coming into the Tabernacle, with the people freshly under his Law, that makes me wonder about the preparations for Jesus’ coming as the Son of Man to fulfill the Law and to inaugurate the rule of Grace.

On the surface, we see the angel Gabriel’s announcement to Mary, and before that to Zechariah about the birth of John the Baptist. But God has been planning since the beginning for this moment.

We’ve heard about the birth of Baby Jesus so many times that we can get kind of blasé about it—especially when we’re overwhelmed by the non-faith aspects of preparing for the holidays.

The Old Testament is a good cure for blasé-ness about God. Perhaps it’s a reminder of the mystery of this Unknowable One who reveals Himself to us.

Let’s pause this Advent season to remember just Who it is that we’re preparing to welcome. We don’t have to fall down in fear at the manger, may the Spirit nudge us to our knees in awe and worship.

Praise God, and “let every heart prepare Him room”.

© Janet Sketchley, 2010

*New International Version, ©2010 (NIV) Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2010 by Biblica

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For devotionals, reviews and conversation, stop by Janet Sketchley's blog, God with Us: Finding Joy.