Testimony

Did you ever hear a testimony from someone that was deep in sin in their past life, then they choose to give glory to God by sharing what the Lord has done in their life?  Of how he had delivered them from a life of terrible sin, most people would pay attention, because the person that is sharing was being transparent   sharing their own experience and not someone else’s.  How can you refute the experience of someone that is being truthful, and you know they are?  I know that every true believer has a testimony that they can share and not all of us have had the same experiences, but I think the best testimony is from a person that had found the Lord when they were quite young who have been kept from many of the sins that other people have experienced.

One person that comes to mind is Jimmy Swaggart, who I was told gave his life to the Lord when he was 8 years old, according to my brother.  He never smoked anything or tasted alcohol or been into any kind of drugs from what I was told and that is a great testimony.  Don’t get me wrong, we are all sinners according to God’s Word and Jimmy Swaggart has a sin nature just like all the rest of us, so he is guilty of sin also, but at that age he wasn’t even at the age of accountability yet.  

I would love to be able to say that I have been a believer since I was 8 years old and lived it all the rest of my life, but I was a late bloomer you might say.  I had a couple experiences in my younger years with the Lord but never really got committed until I was about 35 years old and I have been committed ever since.  Before that I was on what you might say was a suicidal path with the things I was doing.  I never thought I would make it past 30 years old.  I know beyond a doubt that if not for God’s mercy and grace and unconditional love, I would have destroyed myself years ago and almost did on more than one occasion.  I was always looking for love because I had no idea what real love was all about.  I think this is what I’ve always thought of it like, just as the Word says without knowing it at the time, they honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.  In other words, it is much more talk than walk.  I’m sure that many people can relate to this also, if the other person can benefit from the words that are spoken, they use the word love.  

Even after being committed to the Lord, I struggled with this problem and the Lord has showed me many times He loves me, maybe I expect too much.  When I meet the lady I am married to now, I was real nervous when we were going to get married, then she looked at me and said if you marry me you will never be sorry and she has kept that promise ever since and now I know what it means to be loved as unconditionally as a human can be loved and I thank the Lord for her.  Believe me there have been times I have made it very difficult, but she has never wavered, she has always responded with love.  I can say honestly that I haven’t responded to her that way to my shame.  She committed her life to the Lord about 2 years after we were married, after I had recommitted my life to the Lord and I can’t praise the Lord enough for what He has done in our lives through the years that we have all been together that includes the Lord and my wife and I.  After having five kids, 11 grandkids and 1 great grandchild, the Lord just continues to bless us and our relationship, praise be to God.       

I could say so much more but it would take a lot more space and I tend to go on and on at times, maybe I will add more on my next blog.  If you have a testimony that you could share that would honor the Lord, let me encourage you to think and pray about it and if you feel led, jot it down on paper and share it, you may be surprised how the Lord may use it to His glory.  Let me encourage you with this. Don’t just write what the enemy encouraged you to do and participate in, but remember to add how the Lord delivered you and what He set you free of and what the Lord has done in your life since, and don’t forget to thank and praise the Lord for He is worthy!!  I hope this has been a help and encouragement to whoever reads it.  May the good Lord bless you and yours and may you have a super, super day!!