Go on up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news;
lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news,
lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah,
“Behold your God!”
Behold, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him;
behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.
He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms;
he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.
~Isaiah 40:9-11, ESV
For the Christian writer, the Holy Spirit within is both "ghostwriter" and “muse,” the true source of living words and letters that bear fruit as they are multiplied.
Like an author moved to “Put your heart on the page,”* so the Holy Spirit writes fresh messages from the Lord Himself on the believer’s heart through meditation on God’s Word. In the hands of anointed writers, those inspired messages become books and letters of encouragement, published and shared with the world around us.
Yet while the heart is the writer, flowing freely as the Spirit speaks, the mind functions like an editor. What writers know intellectually can be such a sharp censor with its “editing” process, that the writer fails to produce anything at all!
I reached a point in my writing life where despite publishing five other books, I felt “stuck” on the current one. Although I had some good ideas and had written a few pages, nothing seemed to flow. I could not find the right structure or ‘arc’ for my thoughts. Frustrated with the process, I went to the Lord, pleading for help.
As it turned out, my frustration was a gift. It showed me the end of myself and the beginning of Christ.
In prayer, the Lord gently reminded me that even a skilled writer can do nothing by herself (John 15:5). I had to surrender my gift and co-labor with the Spirit of God to produce anything of value.
To illustrate this, in a vision, the Lord stood me on top of a high mountain. He reminded me of Moses, who had a call from God as a deliverer as well as a powerful message of freedom. In his own strength, however, Moses could accomplish nothing.
In his passion for intimacy with God, Moses ascended Mount Sinai and waited on the Lord for 40 days until the fullness of the message came clear. Moses watched the finger of God write the Ten Commandments on two pages of stone. He didn’t just encounter the glory of God on that mountain; he encountered God as an Author.
While people credit Moses with giving us the Ten Commandments, Moses’s “muse” was the Spirit of God, not his own heart. Ultimately, God alone is the muse, writer, editor, and publisher of His Word; we humans are mere messengers!
Moses carried inspiring words down the mountain (twice; see Exodus 32 & 34) to teach and promote God’s ways, but it was God who accomplished the writing itself. Moses was given a glimpse into God’s publishing process, carving stone into tablets, yet the words and message remained God’s alone.
Modern writers share Moses’ commission, which is outlined in Psalm 68:11: “The Lord gave the Word; great was the company of those that published it.” A Christian writer will find success only when they have found their true muse: the Holy Spirit. One can be skilled enough to reproduce in new ways what others have said - even what God has said - yet authenticity and authority come only when a writer has been in the Presence of God personally, filled with holy seed.
The Lord reminded me that day that I could not “run with a message” until I had a message worth running with. In due time, as I waited on the Lord in prayer, He spoke, just as He spoke to Moses. My ability to wait in His Presence and saturate my heart with His glorious wisdom was what mattered most.
*The phrase, “Put your heart on the page” is anonymous, but was championed by well-known mystery writer, Anne Perry.
