Isaiah 43:10 ‘You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD.’
If you have a sibling you have probably found you remember the same situation differently. You may think your sibling was Mom or Dad’s favorite but they think you were the favorite child. You may remember your sibling encouraging you to lick the dog’s tail and they remember you doing it all by yourself. You may remember your sibling hitting you on the head with a broom but they remember someone else hitting you on the head with a rake.
Our perspective shapes our memories and our eye-witness accounts. My husband serves as a police and fire chaplain and sees firsthand how different people see a crisis scene differently. Twelve people may witness the same hit-and-run accident. Yet, as the police officers and detectives gather that first-hand information from the bystanders they realize the eyewitness accounts vary greatly. One person says the car was blue and a sedan, another witness says it was black and an SUV. One person says it was going north, another says the car was traveling south. The witnesses have good intentions but the police will be hoping for street cameras, or cell phone cameras that have captured an accurate account, or that the driver just turns him or herself in.
We are called to give first-hand information to others about our loving Lord. What kind of witnesses are we for HIm? Reliable? Confusing? Dramatic? Confident? Unsure? Hysterical? Does our testimony hold truth? Does our testimony help those we are sharing with? Will our testimony be validated by others? Will our testimony stand up at a trial?
A credible witness for God can say, ‘He has seen me through the worst of gut-wrenching situations and He will see me through whatever comes my way. He has always been and will always be faithful. A credible witness for God is one who says, ‘when you can’t see His hand, trust His Word, His character, His history, His heart.’ A credible witness for God is one who says, ‘I don’t understand what is going on but I have peace, I know God will work it all out for His glory and my good.’ A credible witness for God always hopes, always believes, always loves.
I join you in asking myself these questions, ‘How can I improve my witness testimony for our loving Lord? What areas of my life fail to display what I know to be true?’
Father God, thank You for trusting us to tell others about You. Thank You for equipping us with all we need to learn more about You and represent You with great accuracy. We desire to honor You in our eyewitness accounts of Your love and faithfulness. We pray all of this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.