When someone enters the witness stand in a court room and declares, “This is what I saw and this is what I heard”, their testimony has a powerful influence on the outcome of the trial. The judge or jury can’t simply ignore what a credible witness has to say from personal experience.

Our testimony concerning what we have experienced of the presence and power of God in our lives can also have a powerful influence. There is a unique authenticity in having a person say, “This is what I have experienced – I know that God has been good to me.”

Others may try to explain it away as a coincidence or as emotionalism or as delusion. This might be possible when dealing with one person, or with a small and isolated group, but it is very difficult to deny the experiences of millions of believers around the world who, in different cultures and circumstances have found God to be faithful. When we offer our testimony, we add to the testimonies of hundreds of millions of people around the world and strengthen the voice of those who know and love God.

In the Old Testament, the people of Israel were called upon to “tell the nations what the LORD has done!” (e.g. Isaiah 12:4) In the New Testament, Jesus called those who had been with Him “My witnesses” and told them to tell the world what they had seen and heard. In the book of Acts, Peter repeatedly describes himself and the other disciples as witnesses of the resurrection of Jesus. His story was the story of things that he had seen and heard, especially concerning Jesus’ resurrection, but also of the complete ministry of Jesus in Galilee and Judea (Acts 10:38,39). What was true in that time is true today – God calls on those who know Him to be His witnesses, to tell others of the great things He has done for us.

And in our day, there is an easy way to tell our story of God’s goodness. We can write a testimony, put it on a website, and allow people all over the world to receive the hope and encouragement that comes from hearing that there is a good God who cares about us and who will be involved in our lives in wonderful ways if we only ask Him. I would like to encourage the people from Silver Valley Community Church to tell their stories through our website. Your story will be unique because your experience of God will be unique. Your story will be a strength to others because we can all relate to the need for a friend, someone who sees our need and comes to our aid. As Jesus has done that for us, we can encourage others by telling how we have found encouragement in our relationship with Jesus.

Paul Lehmann has shared his testimony with me and you will find it inspiring, I’m sure.  To read Paul’s story, click here.