Share Your Story

       Have you ever experienced something so amazing you knew it must be God? Or has God really turned around your life, made you into someone new? If you're a follower of Jesus Christ I know that you answered yes to one or both of those questions. And now I have another, have you told anyone about it? Have you shared that experience with other people?
        Something I have come to realize in my walk with Jesus is that the blessings we receive from the Lord are meant to be shared, we are supposed to go tell people what God has done. God wants us to share our testimonies to glorify Him and bring Him praise, but also by sharing our story with others we can bring hope, encouragement, and plant seeds in the heart of those who do not yet know the Lord. A perfect example of this is found in John 4 after a conversation Jesus has with a Samaritan woman at the well of Jacob, where verses 39-41 read, 'Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.”  So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days.  And because of his words many more became believers.' This is the power in your testimony, your words can lead others to come to the Messiah.
       Sharing your testimony is important to God, He wants you to tell others about Him, so much so that in Mark 5 we see that after Jesus cast out a demon from a man, who once released from its hold, begged Jesus to go with him, Jesus replies to that man with this in verse 19 'Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” ' And this is not the only place where people are instructed to give testimony of the works of the Lord, throughout the Bible you can find verses about that, like Psalm 107:1-2 which reads, 'Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble' If you are the redeemed of the Lord, you need to be saying so!
       Bless someone by what you have been blessed with, give freely what has freely been given to you, tell them about the goodness of your Lord! You don't know and may never see the fruits of sharing your testimony, but God does and He has a purpose for it.
 
1 Chronicles 16:23-26

23 Sing to the Lord, all the earth;

proclaim his salvation day after day.

24 Declare his glory among the nations,

his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

25 For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;

he is to be feared above all gods.

26 For all the gods of the nations are idols,

but the Lord made the heavens.

Psalm 71:15-18

15 My mouth will tell of your righteous deeds,

of your saving acts all day long—

though I know not how to relate them all.

16 I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, Sovereign Lord;

I will proclaim your righteous deeds, yours alone.

17 Since my youth, God, you have taught me,

and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds.

18 Even when I am old and gray,

do not forsake me, my God,

till I declare your power to the next generation,

your mighty acts to all who are to come.  

 

Matthew 10:32        

So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven,

1 Peter 3:15        
But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,