'Write it Down' by Jo Wanmer

There is no more important time to write than now. Across the world we see God moving in a new way. A few weeks ago, in Asbury, Kentucky, we saw students at a Wesleyan Bible College start to pray and worship 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Why? It seems that one young student had a revelation of his sin and publicly started to repent at the end of a chapel service. Just as John the Baptist’s call to repentance made way for Jesus, so this repentance opened the way for Jesus and He came! Then He came to other universities, schools, communities. He is pouring out his spirit on Generation Z. It’s a revival marked by worship and love of Jesus.

God is up to something big. There are reports of revival from Indonesia, Uganda, Philippians….. and, yes, here in Australia. Every move of God comes with fresh revelation and new understandings of the Word. Such a revelation caused Martin Luther to nail his thesis to the door, regardless of threats against him. New understandings caused the Wesley brothers to be kicked out of churches. They continued to preach in the fields, highways and byways, while writing over 6,500 hymns.

It is imperative for us to write. We must journal as we sit with God and record the ideas he drops into our hearts. Well known bible passages open wider, mean more, go deeper, affecting our hearts. As writers called by God, we have a responsibility to share the new, to find the words to explain what He’s saying. This is why we are wordsmiths. Where would we be today if those called by God didn’t stop and put pen to paper? God said to Habakkuk, "Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so heralds may run with it.” (2:2) He spoke similar words to Jeremiah, John, and others.

 On Mt Sinai He used His own finger to write on the stone tablets. God instructed Moses to write. Because of this we have a record of the birth of history. He watches over His Word zealously. During World War II, Warsaw was completely destroyed. Only one wall remained standing vertical. It was part of the building the Bible Society occupied. On the wall was written "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My Word will never pass away."    

He guards His word to the extent that even if it is hidden for centuries, He can bring it to light just as He unearthed the Red Sea Scrolls. Could our words be that important? If we are following Him I believe so.

In the age of the internet, methods of communication have changed. Tic-tok, live stream, zoom and other similar apps have pushed us to verbal and video communication. However, I believe the Lord is still saying, ‘WRITE IT DOWN!’ Maybe one day your grandchild will find an old journal and God will use it to speak to them. Or someone will open and old book you’ve written and find Jesus. Take the revelations God gives you at this time and write booklets. write poems, songs and memes. Insert the ideas in your novels. Let your characters walk out deeper spiritual understandings. 

This week I have heard several people quote Esther 4:14. See picture for the verse, but I’d like to rephrase it for us, for today. 

"If you keep quiet (stop writing) at a time like this, deliverance and relief for our world will arise from some others, but you and your relatives will miss out. Who knows if perhaps you were made a wordsmith for just such a time as this?”

Esther had to risk her life to pass on a message. It was impossible without prayer and fasting, determination, wisdom and self-sacrifice. She could have claimed she was too young, too inexperienced, insignificant. All that was true. But she said yes and God made a way. 

All God is asking us for is a ‘Yes’. A willingness to lay down the old long held precious beliefs and embrace Him as he leads us, his church, into the new. Our agreement and prayer enable him to get the right words on our paper.

 Father, I pray for every son and daughter of yours who read these words today. May your spirit quicken our hearts and minds. I pray you will open the eyes of our hearts and our imagination that each of us will know You and Your power on our writing.

Jo Wanmer is sitting in her chair in North Brisbane. Today she has pushed past the heavy opposition to write, the opposition that comes against us all. Pray for her that she too will write everything He would have her to write.

Her book 'Though the Bud be Bruised' was published ten years ago. There are other stories in anthologies. Other books are waiting for her to jump the publishing hurdle