When the cursor blinks like an old enemy, Psalm 91 reminds writers that the page isn’t our fortress. God is. Here’s a reflection with three takeaways for your writing day …
Ever sit down to write and find yourself staring at that blinking cursor like it’s an old enemy? I know I have. That little line just blinks and blinks, like it’s saying, “Well, what are you waiting for?” Some days I’ve got the words ready to roll, and some days it feels like pulling a stubborn mule through a muddy field.
It’s in moments like that when Psalm 91:1-2 comes to mind:
“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, ‘My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’”
That’s a reminder worth its weight in gold. I’m not sitting at the desk alone. The Lord is right there beside me. When I lean into that, the load gets lighter. The pressure eases. Suddenly, the blank page isn’t a wall I’ve got to climb—it’s just paper, waiting to catch whatever He nudges me to put down.
The Blank Page Isn’t the Fortress
Funny thing, we treat that page like it’s the stronghold we’ve got to storm. Like we’re soldiers charging the gates, trying to conquer it with clever words. But the page is just a page. The fortress isn’t made of paper or pixels—it’s made of the presence of God. He’s the safe place, not the sentence we haven’t written yet.
When I let that truth sink in, the writing chair doesn’t feel so heavy. The blinking cursor loses its teeth.
Perfect Isn’t the Goal
We writers are tough on ourselves. We want the words to be sharp, shining, polished like a new penny. But God never asked for perfect prose. He asked for honest hearts. He asked for faithfulness.
Sometimes that looks like a poem scratched on the back of a receipt. Sometimes it’s three messy pages in a notebook no one else will ever see. Sometimes it’s a story you’ve been carrying for years that finally tumbles out in fits and starts. All of it counts. All of it matters.
For Writers, Poets, and Dreamers
So if you’re staring at your own blinking cursor today—whether you’re a novelist with deadlines, a poet with half-finished lines, or someone just brave enough to write their first page—take a deep breath. Remember you’re not writing alone. You’re under the shadow of the Almighty, in the shelter of the One who gave you this gift.
The page isn’t your fortress. God is. The words don’t have to be perfect. They just need to be faithful.
So let’s write. Not out of fear. Not out of pressure. But out of trust.
Three Takeaways for Writers
- Rest before you write. Don’t fight the page—sit in God’s shelter first.
- Choose faithfulness over perfection. Honest words carry more weight than polished ones.
- Remember the fortress. The page isn’t your stronghold. The Lord is.
Grace and Peace,
Jimmie
