He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart; who does not slander with his tongue and does no evil to his neighbour, nor takes up a reproach against his friend; in whose eyes a vile person is despised, but who honours those who fear the Lord; who swears to his own hurt and does not change; who does not put out his money at interest and does not take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved.”
15:1-5
Context:
This psalm describes the character and qualities of the ideal follower of God.
When crafting a story, authors often ask themselves questions. We ask questions like:
What would make things worse for my hero?
How can I raise the stakes?
What friendship or love interest would complicate things?
What poor decisions can the main character make that threaten the happily-ever-after?
We like to write and read characters with layers of personal issues and mountainous obstacles to overcome because a perfectly blameless protagonist (or antagonist) is relatively dull.
Enter Reality
When it comes to our real life, perfectly blameless is exactly what is required. Psalm 15 asks and answers the question: Who can dwell with God? The answer is sobering: the blameless and righteous.
Only people who meet God’s qualifications can enter His presence.
Only a few chapters after Psalm 15, in Psalm 24, the psalmist repeats the truth that God requires perfection from his followers. Only those with clean hands a pure hearts can ascend the hill of the Lord (Ps 24:3-4).
Who among us is blameless and righteous? Who among us has clean hands a pure heart? The Old Testament priests continually offered sacrifices to atone for the people’s sins. Hebrews 10:11-14, “every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins ….”
A Single Sacrifice
But we no longer need the intervention of a human priest. “… But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God … For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.” Hebrews 10:19 confirms, “we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus.”
As writers, we want to shake the foundations of our stories and characters, but as believers, we want stability. We want what Psalm 15:5 promises and what Hebrews 10:22-23 guarantees. We want an immovable faith and the confidence to draw near and hold fast to God because He is faithful.
Pray through Psalm 15 and Hebrews 10, acknowledging your need for and thankfulness to Christ for making it possible for you to enter into the presence of God.
and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness.
O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.”
Psalm 51:14-15
Context:
The psalmist asks the Lord for mercy and forgiveness of sin and declares he will tell others of God’s righteousness.
Devotional
When I began writing fiction, I created a purpose statement that conveyed my desire to create God-honoring, life-changing messages through the form of entertaining stories. I keep this statement and a key verse, “I’ve decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified,” 1 Cor 2:2 before my heart and mind.
Psalm 51 reminds me that knowing nothing except Jesus and Him crucified is an impossible task apart from God. We need God’s mercy to cleanse and purify us. God creates clean hearts. God causes ears to hear and bones to rejoice. God restores joy. God delivers from bloodguiltiness. God opens lips and mouths to declare His praise. Apart from God, our sin is ever before us. God not only calls us to a purpose but then requires us to depend on Him to live it out.
Psalm 51
Ponder:
The singing and declaring that burst from the lips of the psalmist are a result of God opening his lips. What impact might it have on our writing if we began every writing session by confessing our guilt and inviting the God of our salvation to open the lips of our pens and the tongues of our keyboards that our words might declare His praise?
Pray:
Lord, too often, I run ahead of You, eager to get the words on the page, anxious about meeting a deadline or goal. Today, instead, I begin by confessing my desire to control the outcome of my efforts. I confess that sometimes, I need less productivity and more time with You. I need to listen better. I need to welcome You and set aside my words. I invite You to open my lips, and I pray the words that flow would teach others Your ways.
Lord, I desire to obey You in all things. David models the kind of humble repentance that pleases You. He freely admits that his sin is first and foremost against You. The same is true in my life. Against You and only You have I sinned. Therefore, you are justified in Your wrath. You desire truth in the innermost of my being, so Lord, I ask that You will make me know wisdom. Lord, show me how to weave Your truth through my writing. I do not want a separation between my faith and my job. I desire to have my faith in You impact every word that flows from my mind. Create in me a clean heart. Renew a steadfast spirit. Keep me in Your presence. Fill me with Your Spirit. Restore to me the joy of salvation and sustain with a willing spirit.
Even after I had several articled published in magazines, I didn’t call myself a writer. Even though I spent most of my free time writing, it felt too presumptuous to say, “I’m a writer.” Instead, I would say, “I like to write.” Or, “I have written a few things.” But to give myself the title, writer? I just couldn’t do it.
That is, not until I approached the registration table at my very first writer’s conference. I looked down at the label on my nametag and there it was: Writer. I hesitated, glancing out at the atrium filling with people who actually were writers. Did I need their permission? Should I show someone credentials?
Putting on that nametag felt like a deeply solemn thing to do. I took a deep breath and with gravity, feeling the weight of the action, I slipped it on.
Wearing Your Nametag
Fear is the number one thing that prompts writers and speakers to bury our “talent” in the ground, rather than investing and multiplying what we’ve been given by God. Instead of stepping up onto our platforms to boldly proclaim truth, we slip into the back section of the auditorium, labelled “Still Too Afraid”.
What sort of fears hold us back?
Fear of being rejected by yet another publisher.
Fear of being given low, critical reviews.
Fear of selling an embarrassingly low number of books.
Fear of being perceived as showy or self-serving.
Fear of having nothing significant to say.
Do any of these sound familiar? If fear is holding you back, I’d like to offer you one simple strategy for gathering courage as you step out to write or speak, using your God-given talent. I call it the Principal of the Foreword.
Foreword
A foreword in a book is the “word” that comes “before” the main message. The foreword often offers an explanation of how this material evolved or it gives the backstory, telling what prompted the author to write it.
Instead of asking you to think about the foreword of your next book, I encourage you to think about the foreword for your ministry as a whole. How did this all begin for you? What set you on this path, in the first place?
As you consider your “foreword”, consider asking yourself these three questions:
What first stirred me to share this message? Did I experience something significant? Was I exposed to some injustice? Were my eyes opened to some truth?
Who affirmed me? Did someone validate my particular gifts? Who encouraged me to try? What effect did my words have?
What doors opened? Did I have an unusual opportunity? Was I given a platform to stand on?
Take some time to think through these questions thoughtfully. Reflect and journal your responses. Consider the various legs of your platform-growing journey. Now go back and title your journal response, “My Foreword”.
The Author
Often the foreword of a book is written by someone with expertise, giving the book credibility. As you glance through your journal entry, ask yourself, “Who wrote my foreword?” If you think deeply, I think you’ll come to the conclusion that you didn’t actually write this backstory. God did.
God is the one who wove together the happenstance of your life, creating significant experiences which stirred up the messages inside of you. God also is the one who brought people to encourage, affirm, and train you. And God alone has opened the doors you’ve walked through. He’s given you opportunities and platform-building experiences.
Do you agree that God is the author of your foreword? To emphasize this, at the end of your journal entry, write, “Written by: God”.
Remembering Your Foreword
Why is this helpful? How does this exercise grant new confidence?
Suppose you’re cringing at the thought of sharing your news about a book contract on social media. Or suppose you’re worried about what people would think if you present yourself as an “expert” on any given subject. Suppose you are quivering in a corner, with a decided case of impostor syndrome, thinking, “Why did I ever set out to do this?”
In times like these, go back to your foreword. Remind yourself of the ways that God gave you this message. Review the ways other Christians have affirmed your gifts and calling. Look back at all of the doors God has opened in the past. The opportunity you now face is just one more door to step through!
Reviewing your Foreword helps put your message into context. You aren’t stepping out on a platform to share your big ideas with the world. You’re stepping out onto the platform God put under your feet to share the message he prompted you to deliver.
As you step out onto your platform, you’re part of something much bigger than yourself. You’re part of the bigger story of God.
Influence: Building a Platform that Elevates Jesus (Not Me), was co-authored by Shannon Popkin and Kate Motaung, and is designed to help you think about how to gather followers of Jesus and change the world—but not in the way the world says to. Check out Shannon’s site for more resources and take the Influence Quiz here.
Shannon is happy to be sharing life with Ken, who makes her laugh every single day. Together, they live the fast-paced life of parenting three high school and college-aged kids. For more from Shannon, please go to shannonpopkin.com, or connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
“Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit.”
Psalm 34:13
Telling the story of how God captured our hearts, led us to faith and repentance, and transformed our lives is often called sharing our testimony. Testimonies are powerful opportunities for believers to declare their confidence in the Lord, not only in what He has done in redeeming them, but in what He will continue to do for them as they walk in obedience, and how God longs to do this for others. These shared stories allow the church family to praise God together for His saving work in the lives of the people. They are a declaration of what God has done and an invitation to join in praising Him.
David begins Psalm 34 by declaring his story of confidence in the Lord. He tells a story of continual praise and invites his listeners to join him in magnifying the Lord. Throughout the first 11 verses, David intersperses a call to join the praise with details from his testimony.
David invites the humble to “magnify” and “exalt” the Lord (v3) because those who “look to him are radiant and unashamed” (v5). He implores the hearer to “taste and see the Lord is good” (8), to fear the Lord (9) and listen to him (11). He speaks of himself as a poor man who cried out to God, and the Lord heard. The Lord saved him from his troubles. His story is an invitation to believe that if God could hear, answer, deliver, save, and redeem him, then He can do this for the reader. He invites the people to come, listen, and fear the Lord (11).
Wisdom
The rest of the Psalm is filled with wisdom for the righteous. The man who wants to see good (12) must do good (14). The details of how this goodness plays out in the lives of the redeemed are sandwiched in between those statements, the redeemed should keep their tongues from evil (13). This command is so important that he rephrases it in the last part of the sentence, “keep your lips from speaking deceit.” The list continues. Turn from evil, do good, seek peace, pursue peace (14).
Troubles
David acknowledges that the righteous will face troubles. The righteous will cry, be brokenhearted, crushed, and afflicted (12-19). But our souls can boast in the Lord because God delivers us. He slays the wicked and condemns those who hate the righteous (21). None who take refuge in God will be condemned (22).
Ponder
If the redeemed should keep their tongues from evil (13), should redeemed authors keep their pens from evil? Should we keep our words from communicating deceit? How do we turn from evil, do good, seek peace, and pursue peace (14) while telling stories of brokenness and redemption?
Pray
Lord, we hear the wisdom of this passage. As Your children, the words we write and speak should be truthful, good, and peaceful. As we craft the necessary scenes to illustrate the fallen state of characters, we ask for the Spirit’s help to show the awfulness of life apart from You. We ask for the Spirit’s help to create character arcs that illustrate the saving power of Christ. Give us the courage to write boldly and the wisdom to differentiate between necessary details and sensationalism.
“For there is no truth in their mouth; their inmost self is destruction; their throat is an open grave; they flatter with their tongue.”
Psalm 5:9
In the previous devotional in this series, the tongue was a pen. This month, it is a tool for sinful flattery wielded by boastful evildoers. Words are versatile. As writers, we know that; our careers depend on it. Because words can be used for good and evil, we must type them carefully and thoughtfully.
In Psalm 5, the writer chooses powerful words to describe evildoers. They are liars with a desire for destruction (6, 9). Words like “destroy,” “abhor,” and “hate” communicate God’s feelings toward those who speak evil (5-6). The antagonist is bloodthirsty. His throat is an open grave (6, 9). The vivid imagery of God’s Word builds a complete picture. Those who speak lies and flattery are guilty and deserve to be cast out (6, 9, 10).
Use Your Words for Good, not Evil
In contrast, the protagonist calls upon God to let those who take refuge in Him rejoice and sing for joy (11). These words of praise come from the righteous, who are protected, blessed, and coveredwith favor (11-12). The protagonist knows his propensity to use words for evil, so he proactively asks the Lord to hear his prayer (1-2). He prepares a sacrifice (3). He petitions the Lord to lead him and make his way straight (8). He knows what is easy for us to forget—we enter God’s house and bow in fear of Him through the abundance of His steadfast love (7).
In the New Testament, Paul quotes this passage in Romans 3:13 when he argues that all people are under the power of sin.1 At our core, we are liars with a desire for destruction. Apart from God, we would use our words for evil. Apart from God, we’d write and speak for our glory and fame instead of His. In Romans 3, Paul lays the groundwork for the rest of his argument; the only way we can be grouped in with the righteous instead of the evildoers is through repentance and dependence upon the shed blood and resurrection of Jesus. Jesus invites us into God’s house, where we bow in fear of Him through the abundance of His steadfast love.
God is the Subject
The writer of Psalm 5 is referenced 13 times in the chapter, evildoers 16 times, the righteous 6 times, and the words or sounds that people utter 10 times. But God, our King and Lord, is referenced 30 times. So this chapter might communicate much about our words, but it says even more about our God.
Questions to Ponder
God hears, loves, protects, blesses, and covers His people. He is righteous. He hates evil, destroys liars, abhors bloodthirsty and deceitful men. He does not delight in wickedness and will not allow evil to dwell with Him. He will cast out the guilty and rebellious. Does your writing represent this full picture of God? Does it illuminate His loving nature as much as His intolerance of sin? Does it celebrate His mercy while communicating His judgment?
Does your writing reflect an author that longs for the blessing of this holy God, all the while knowing it is undeserved (v12)? When you examine your word choices, are you like the psalmist, preparing a sacrifice and watching for God (v3)? Do you enter His presence bowed low in fear of Him (v7)? Do you ask for God to lead you and make your way straight (v8)? Or, are you more like the enemy? Are you full of lies and destruction with words like an open grave (v9), rebelling against God (v10)?
Meditate on Psalm 5. Ask God to reveal your heart. Ask God to ignite a fresh passion for writing that exposes the folly of the path toward destruction and judgment. In all your communications, thread themes of hope and redemption that lead to the Lord. The only way we can be made right with God is through the shed blood and resurrection of Jesus. Resolve today to represent this truth well.
1 Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (p. 946). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
“My heart overflows with a pleasing theme; I address my verses to the king; my tongue is like the pen of a ready scribe.”
Psalm 45:1
Context: A love song written for a royal wedding and addresses a king.1
A Pleasing theme
In Psalm 45:1, the author is overwhelmed with a “pleasing theme.” These beautiful words stir his heart (NLT). The Contemporary English Version says it like this: My thoughts are filled with beautiful words for the king, and I will use my voice as a writer would use pen and ink.
Imagine your tongue as your pen and ink.
A computer feature that I have come to appreciate is the voice-to-text shortcut. It is very easy for me to click a few buttons, speak, and see the words magically appear on the screen. I love this. My tongue is my pen. Consider the implications for writers if we carry this metaphor through Scripture.
Psalm 141:3, “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips!”
Proverbs 21:23, “Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble.”
Ephesians 4:29, “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”
James 1:26, “If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless.”
Scripture has a lot to say about the words we speak, and the implications apply to the words we write as authors. This new blog series is an opportunity to journey together and consider what God has to say about the words stirring in our hearts and spilling out of our mouths or onto the page.
Pray
Pray through the verses above, asking the Lord to set a guard over your words to keep you from trouble. Resolve to write and speak no “corrupting words.” Resolve to “build up your readers” and “build up the people around you.” Consider the solemn warning for Christians who do not “bridle their words.” Ask the Lord to expose your heart, so you do not deceive yourself.
Footnotes:
Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (p. 992). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
