Day 23 Testify

Day        23   Testify

 

One day, as I began to grow in strength and receive God’s power to move forward in my life, God gave me a desire to share what he had done for me. The thankfulness for his many blessings and the greatfulness that he had never left my side overflowed from my very soul as he gives me opportunities to tell about the amazing God who has carried me through this horrible storm. This desire to share even strengthened me as nothing had before.

Sharing my testimony strengthened my faith in amazing ways. It has helped me affirm the faith he used to carry me, it has deepened my understanding of worship, and it has even given me new courage to speak in large crowds.  It must have been this feeling that David spoke of in Psalms 19: 1-2, as his praise to the Lord overflowed from his very soul.  His heartfelt cry of praise to the Lord should be a model for all of us who have the chance to speak to anyone of God’s mercy and love.

1God's voice is always speaking. His witnesses give testimony to his glory, majesty and creative grace.

2The universe shouts with joy because behind it's intricate beauty and power is the One who gave it life, purpose, and intention.

My faith is evolving daily. As I study his word…especially when I am asked to share…scriptures are revealed to me that help me loosen the grip my grief has to sadden me. Eventually I want to be like the centurion who requested a healing for his servant in Matthew 8:1-10, or the woman who suffered a blood issue in Mark 5:25-34. These two people…just a small fraction of the whole…who had faith that God could do anything they believed provide inspiration to me as I read.

Matthew 8

   ¹When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him.

   ²And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.

   ³And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.

   ⁴And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.

   ⁵And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him,

   ⁶And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented.

   ⁷And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him.

   ⁸The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.

   ⁹For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.

   ¹⁰When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.

 

Mark 5

²⁵And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years,

   ²⁶And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse,

   ²⁷When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment.

   ²⁸For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.

   ²⁹And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.

   ³⁰And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes?

   ³¹And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?

   ³²And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing.

   ³³But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth.

   ³⁴And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.

Testifying gives you a reason to worship. In praising God for the blessings he has given, and the trials he has brought you through, your very understanding of worship is transformed from a passive quiet thankfulness…to a bold dynamic demonstration of his goodness.  Like the people in 2 Chronicles 29:28… all the congregation worshipped, and the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded: and all this continued until the burnt offering was finished…I can lift my voice in song, and shout to everyone the great things he has done for me.

 

As my faith in God matures, he is even teaching this old dog new skills. He is taking my talents of teaching children and cultivating it into an ability to speak with adults. He is showing me how to transform the thoughts from his scriptures into insights on a piece of paper. He is refining my understanding of how many ways he can use me to do his work.