God and you

Day 95

'"If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true. There is another who testifies in my favour, and I know that his testimony about me is true.

"You have sent to John and he has testified to the truth. Not that I accept human testimony; but I mention it that you may be saved. John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you chose for a time to enjoy his light.

"I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to finish—the very works that I am doing—testify that the Father has sent me. And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent. You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life."'

John 5:31-40

When I chose this passage (believe me, it takes a long time to choose what I'm gonna write about), I suddenly realised that over the previous 94 days of this devotional, I have not written about testimony and testifying! So I am definitely gonna write about it today. The definition of testify is: give evidence as a witness in a law court or serve as evidence or proof that something exists or is the case. The definition of testimony is: a formal written or spoken statement, especially one given in a court of law. So it seems to relate a lot more to law and court than to Christianity. But really, it is about Christianity. For the law court is like the world: our friends; our enemies; our neighbours and whatever else.

So when we testify, we are telling people the truth about God. We are telling them of the miracles he has performed for us, the proof we have that he exists, the love we feel from him. This is a way of sharing the evidence that god is real, and he absolutely loves us. I have seen people testify in church. But testifying doesn't just have to be in front of other Christians. It can be telling the mates you have that don't believe about God! It can be explaining something God has done for you to the guy you sit next to in Science, or something like that. The bible testifies about Jesus all the time, in the old testament and in the new testament. Testimony is a way of letting others know how great God is.

I'm not expecting you to stand on a stage and read out all the things that God has done for you. But you can tell people you know. You can tell them why he exists, and how you know that he is real. And, yeah, most of the time they will probably react in a way which might not be very nice, or they might just ignore you. But some people will listen. And it is those people that will hear God, in time. And it is in those people that the Good News of Jesus will sprout into a little tree of faith. So testimony is big. It's a big thing to do, but it can also make a big change in others. God will work in extraordinary ways through you. Just give it a try.

Prayer

Dear Lord,

Thank you for your Good News. Thank you that we are all your children, and that you love us. Thank you that we are able to share with others the truth about you Lord. Please help me to testify about your existence, so that others will hear it and get to know you.

Amen