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Firstly, I write to crystallize my thoughts to understand the convictions of my heart.

Secondly, I write to express the faith and hope that abides within me as an anchor for my soul.

Thirdly, I write to encourage others in the faith and hope that abides within me.

To bring us to the final, fourth, point,  I write to glorify God!

“And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”  [Colossians 3:17 NKJV]

In Colossians 3:17 as a Christ follower, I am exhorted to “do all in the name of the Lord Jesus”. If Jesus has died for my sins that I might have eternal life with Him and the Father, then all my thanks and focus in life is to be to the honor of His name, His glory. I am nothing and have done nothing in the strength, wisdom, or power of my flesh and feeble mind. No gift that I could give is worthy of Him. In thanksgiving I give Him the duty of obedience done from a heart driven by love because of His great sacrifice for me. I am dead to self to seek only His highest honor in all that I do.

So whatever I write, speak, do, or even think is to be examined in light of God’s Holy Scripture. For the word of His Scripture is profitable to provide and empower me to live rightly and do what pleases Him. His Word is my delight and the rule of life for me.

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” [2 Timothy 3:16-17 NKJV]

Because of all that the Lord Jesus has done for me, I owe Him my life, my breath, my all. And because of His goodness in what He has done, I rest in the sure hope that He only seeks my highest good. I understand that my highest good is to be transformed into the image of the Lord Jesus Christ in word, deed, and thought! In this work of His love for my highest good, I find the greatest joy to be found!

All glory be to Thee, my God;
Great things You’ve done for me.
I bow my head; my feet unshod;
I drop to bended knee.

I praise You, Sovereign, Holy One;
New life You’ve given me.
I’ll follow footsteps of Your Son
To ever with You be.

To Thee, my God, I’ll ever raise
The glories of Your name.
I’ll take no claim for any praise
To You goes all the fame.

I am not my own. I write to the glory of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. He alone is my joy, my hope, and my life.

Next time: Bible Nugget

Firstly, I write to crystallize my thoughts to understand the convictions of my heart.

Secondly, I write to express the faith and hope that abides within me as an anchor for my soul.

Now, thirdly, I write to encourage others in the faith and hope that abides within me.

“Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement)…”  [Acts 4:36 ESV]

Barnabas is given a name according to his character, how he lived his life: as an encourager. His interactions with others focused on encouraging them in a myriad of ways: build up in confidence, inspire with hope, comfort in sickness, strengthen in resolve of character, console in loneliness, breathe words of living hope, etc. In this mindset Christ walked as the example He would have us follow.

Paul, also, calls us to this example. So I, too, strive to walk in this example as an encourager to others to be pleasing to God.

“Therefore encourage one another and build one another up….”  [1 Thessalonians 5:11 ESV]

One way I desire to encourage is through writing about faith and hope in the Lord Jesus Christ in various forms. In Bible studies, the writing is to present organized thoughts about God’s word that it is true and faithful in all He says and all He does. In poetry, the aim is to show my faith and hope in pictures and verse. In Bible nuggets, the idea is to present a thought to ponder and meditate upon for the day. Then there is the occasional devotional or short story to advance a theme to encourage in God’s holy word.  

In choosing this path to tell who God is, I hope to encourage others to see God as the God of encouragement and comfort, and then they share it with still others as He purposes.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”  [2 Corinthians 1:3-4 ESV]

Therefore, I write to encourage others with the comfort in which I have been comforted by my God. I write to encourage others in the faith and hope that abides within me because of God’s great comfort.

Next time: Why do I write? (Part 4)

We have examined the first reason I write: to crystallize my thoughts to understand the convictions of my heart. From this it follows that my writing will be to express these convictions of my heart: what I believe and what is my hope in life.

Secondly, I write to express my faith and hope.

“Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.”
                                                                 [Proverbs 4:23 NKJV]

The heart is our inner soul from which our thoughts are solidified, emotions are poured forth, and actions are performed. It is truly the center of our being which shapes everything we do. So in a sense what we hide in our heart is who we really are. We do live what we believe in our hearts.

As for me:

“I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”              [Galatians 2:20b NKJV]

And through this faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God who died for my sins, I rest in His eternal hope:

“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.”    [Titus 2:11-14 NKJV]

Secondly, I write to express this faith and hope that abides within me as an anchor for my soul [Hebrews 6:19]. It is the greatest treasure and delight of my life to be persuaded that God loves me, desires my highest good of His holiness, and will complete the work of grace He has begun in me. Yes, in Him I live and move and have my very being [Acts 17:28].

Next time: Why do I write? (Part 3)

As I start this journey, this is a valid question.  

Writing is about choosing and collecting words to present thoughts for others to read. Through this process I am hoping to capture words to paper as a way to sort, organize, and develop a flow of meaning to these words for myself that can be presented to others.

I have often noted that I can think thoughts that appear in my mind as perfectly reasonable. Then in my excitement, I pick up my pen and start writing that fantastic thought, only to discover it made no sense at all. That is a letdown. But it is very much a part of writing.

Writing is a means to slow down the thoughts and streamline them to express refined ideas – especially ideas that form tenets of what I believe. It is a means by which I may crystallize my thoughts to understand the convictions of my heart. As I fully understand them for myself, only then can I venture to communicate them to others. 

The understanding I seek is rooted in the Lord, His word, His precepts. He must give the understanding. So in seeking this understanding my prayer is: “Lord, Help me understand the meaning of your precepts.  … For you broaden my understanding.” [Psalm 119:27, 32 CSB] Unless the Lord gives the understanding to my heart, there is no true understanding. So I write to understand the convictions of my heart toward God.

So, why do I write? Firstly, I write to crystallize my thoughts to understand the convictions of my heart.

Next time: Why do I write? (Part 2)

For many years I have had a personal mission statement: “Excite others with a passion and joy for God’s Word and for a desire to live in holiness.” Coupled with this desire in life is a prayer to my Heavenly Father that I might be one who encourages others in their faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore encourage one another and build one another up… (1 Thessalonians 5:11 ESV)

So in this journey my desire is to present God’s Holy Word as revealed in the Holy Scriptures in various ways such as lessons, nuggets, stories and poems to encourage your hearts and minds to focus on the Lord Jesus Christ, without Whom we have no hope or joy in life.

Consider this Bible Nugget:

“Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!” (Psalm 34:8 NKJV) “Your words were found, and I ate them, And Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; For I am called by Your name, O LORD God of hosts.” (Jeremiah 15:16 NKJV) Yes, Lord, let me taste Your goodness in Your holy Word today.

Come journey with me in God’s Word as we look at treasures from that Word to find His joy through our life’s journey.