Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life.
Whoever comes to me will never go hungry,
and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
~ John 6:35 NIV
The
Word of God nourishes and supports me so that I am able to remain faithful,
focused, and fruitful on my writing journey. I look to God’s Word for:
Inspiration
My heart is stirred by a noble theme
as I recite my verses for the king;
my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer.
~ Psalm 45:1
Scripture
is a great source of inspiration for my writing—both fiction and nonfiction. I
often draw on Jesus’s parables for short story ideas, and I regularly employ
His technique of using everyday experiences to illustrate my messages. The themes
and plots Jesus employed in His parables could certainly form the heart of many
insightful, present-day novels. For instance, the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke
15: 11-32) provides the essential plot for a coming-of-age story. The Book of
Revelation formed the foundation of possibly the best-selling Christian fiction
of all time, the Left Behind series
by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. The Saviour’s Second Coming, the Pretribulation
Rapture, and the End Times all served as the backbone on which they built their
plots. Many of the themes, ideas, and characters contained in the Bible provide
wonderful sources of inspiration for powerful and profound stories.
Guidance
Your word is a lamp for my feet,
a light on my path.
~ Psalm 119:105
There
are times in the middle of a piece when I’ve lost my sense of direction and
feel uncertain about the path I’m taking. No matter how lost I feel, God’s Word
always points me in the right direction. It shines a light before me, so I don’t
stumble down a treacherous path and fall in the darkness. There are also times
when Scripture counsels me on how to deal with those cynical critics who make
disparaging comments about the references to Christian faith in my writing (1
Peter 3:15).
Reassurance
Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible,
but with God all things are possible.”
~ Matthew 19:26
Whenever
I’m plagued by self-doubts, this verse bolsters my spirits. My attempts to
write may be going nowhere and success might seem beyond my reach, but I know I
can rely on God’s help to do what appears impossible. I may be an imperfect
vessel, but His Light will shine through the cracks (2 Corinthians 4:7). Another
Bible verse that helps me persevere when I encounter those inevitable potholes
on my writing path is Philippians 4:13: “I can do all this through Him who
gives me strength.”
Affirmation
Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm.
Let nothing move you. Always give yourself fully to
the work of the Lord, because you know that
your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
~ 1Corinthians 15:58
It
is easy to get discouraged when I experience rejection after rejection. But if
I wish to serve the Lord and truly believe in what I’m doing, it’s much easier
to maintain my resolve. As a Christian writer, I believe that God has blessed
me with this gift and called me to create (Ephesians 2:10). He plans for me to prosper,
giving me both hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11). While those who consider
themselves worldly give me cold shoulder, I must remain firmly committed to my
purpose (Proverbs 16:3). Since the Lord desires that I serve Him through my
writing, I must put on His armour of light so that it may shine within me—and through
me light the darkness of the world (Romans 13:12).
These are just a few of the Scriptures that sustain me as I pursue my writing path. What verses provide nourishment for your writing journey?
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