“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.

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Footnotes:

1. Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (p. 992). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.