A testimony is powerful regardless of how small it may seem.  One may view it insignificant but its effect cannot be denied that once shared and heard, it will create a ripple in someone’s heart to desire the same. It is an evidence or proof provided by the existence or appearance of something that happens in one’s life.  It is an answer to a prayer. It is a seed that when received in the fertile ground of our hearts can produce a confident expectation that we shall see the goodness of God in the land of the living as we sit and listen to the one sharing his own encounter with Jesus Christ, our King.

When we testify, our testimony can create a sphere of influence around us.  It changes the options of our hearers.  For me, it is not always there to convince others, but it is to convict our own hearts to be fully persuaded that God is good. Once we’re sold out to this whole truth, our lives will be a witness of Who He is. It is an effortless way of sharing the gospel of peace. It is meant to woo and invite those around us to press in and experience the Lord’s love and goodness themselves.  It is indeed a spirit of prophecy.

This is how we arise and shine for Light has come and the glory of the Lord is risen upon us. Jesus is the Light in us (Isaiah 60:1).  It is His presence that brings brightness and brilliance in our lives without us having to struggle to shine.  Connectedness in consistency and constancy is the key.  Our part is to abide in Him and His part is to let His Light pierce in and through our surrendered and yielded lives to the leading of the Holy Spirit.

One simple yet powerful testimony that I love listening to is when people share about how they hear from God.  It stirs something from deep within me to press in and experience what it means to hear the still small voice of God.  How their testimonies influenced me that it drove me to read books, listen to preachings about “how to hear from God” and persistently apply what I read and heard thinking there was a formula to it.

One day, I listened to a preacher who simply said, “One of the ways to hear and recognize the voice of God is to spend time with Him.”  Hmmm … that simple! Our time in the secret place fine tunes our ears to His frequency that allows us to hear Him clearly.  Our time spent meditating His word revealed to us by the Holy Spirit empowers our hearts to get aligned to His. It’s just like hearing our earthly father speak to us. Because we know him and have spent most of our lives with him, we cannot mistake his voice with someone else.

Just like our fingerprints and irises, our voices can be used as identification or authentication.  Why?  Because it is very distinct.  It’s very unique.  It’s one of a kind.  If there are 300 people confined in a room, then there will be 300 recognizably different voice in there.  Therefore, when God speaks, SURELY our spirits know and recognize Him.  There will be nothing like His voice and when we hear Him speak, the effect in our lives will be inevitably evident that will catapult us to obey, not by might nor by power, but by the Spirit of God.

I had this allergy around my neck for a week.  It bothered me much not just because of its itchiness that I couldn’t help myself but scratch such area, but it also produced a red-necklace-like rashes and bumps.  It’s bizarre to see for I haven’t had anything like this before.  I went through the list in my mind what food could have caused this.  Or is it the perfume that I am using? I had no clue at all.

Days passed and the itch moved from the middle of my neck down to my collar bone.  This skin irritation made me more uncomfortable.  Then, one afternoon I stopped thinking about it because I simply couldn’t find any answer.  My human analytic, aggressive  and persistent reasoning came to its dead end.  Do you know what happened when I put my mind to rest?  Suddenly out of my mouth I heard myself asking the Holy Spirit what’s wrong with my neck and IMMEDIATELY I heard His still small voice from deep within me, “It’s your fabric spray starch for ironing.”  The very moment I heard Him, I felt something lifted that freed me.  Because of that, I took action to stop using it.

It takes our minds to rest before we can hear Him speak crisp and clear. We have the tendency to overthink that leads us to think wrong thoughts, wrong perceptions, and mind you wrong diagnosis and wrong prescriptions.  Unless we let go from examining ourselves what’s going on and let Him reveal to us what He sees, our noisy minds deprive His entrance to meet our very need.  He is our ALL-KNOWING God Who knows the end from the beginning. All we need to do is ask Him and He will answer in the quietness of our hearts and minds.  He said, “BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD.” (Psalm 46:10)  Yes, He is sovereign and in His sovereignty He can well speak to us anytime, but in times when we are desperate for answers, we are to be intentional in our approach and He gives us wisdom on how we do it.

His language is a language of solution.  He never runs out of ways not just to meet our needs but to take it further and farther to a fitting and filling answer.

I could have just settled in thinking of medicines that will ease the irritation of my skin, but He took it further to deal with the root of the allergy for it not to recur.  I haven’t taken any medication for it, but His mercy and grace made me see what He saw as I heard Him speak.  This in itself is equally powerful as an instant miracle.

“He makes me lie down in [fresh, tender] green pastures; He leads me beside the still and restful waters.”  (Psalm 23:2 AMPC)

How He leads us is in the quietness of our hearts.  How He makes us rest in His willingness and ability to reveal to us what we need and grace us into obedience and fruitfulness.

Let’s not tarry in pressing in to hear His voice for at a designated moment, we will reap a harvest of hearing Him. He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him and His reward is making Himself known to us and showing Himself strong in our lives.

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, thank You for always inclining Your ears to Your beloveds as we make known our requests to You.  You never fail to answer and thank You for downloading it to us instant and precise by the presence and power of Your Spirit dwelling in us.  Thank You, Jesus, that all these things are being made available because You came to give us life.  You came to suffer that by Your stripes, we are healed.  You came to die as us and You raised us to life by the power of Your resurrection.  Thank you for sending us Holy Spirit as our ever present HELP at all times and our guarantee and assurance that You are with us always. Amen!

Photo Credit:  Julie Von Ins