Before I left for a recent trip I had two articles and six blogs to finish writing. I wanted to try to finish them all on one specific day so I told my husband, “I’m going to be writing up a storm today. If it starts to rain you’ll know I’ve been writing.”
I said it to be funny but as I thought about it more I thought about how those of us who are Christians and writers should be, in essence, “writing up a storm” every time we write.
Rain is Essential
When I think about rain I think about how it waters the Earth and brings life, refreshing and growth to what it waters. Many people get drinking water from the rain. Crops grow and we are able to be fed and nourished. Trees, flowers and animals are able to survive and thrive from it.
Rain refreshes barren land.
God’s Word Refreshes
In church we sometimes sing a song with the refrain, “Let it rain, open the floodgates of Heaven.” Meaning not necessarily literal rain, but the “raining down” of the presence of God and everything that comes with it—peace, love, redemption, healing, freedom, and so much more.
In Isaiah 55:10-11 God draws a comparison between rain and His word:
“The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it.”
Words of Life
Only God has the words of life for a broken and hurting generation. As a writer, I want my writing to honor God as I set out the truth of His words. His words need no help from me in producing fruit. He promises that they will do so wherever He sends them.
But I also want my writing to draw people to Him, bringing refreshing, life and growth. Just like rain.
So really, as writers who write from a perspective of faith in Jesus, we should be writing up a storm!
God, let us be listening for Your voice as we write and let Your truth and life flow from our hearts and through our fingertips.
Recently I wrote an article on Intimacy With God for The Gathering Place Church women’s website.