Let Me Tell You What God Has Done
“Let me tell you what God has done for me.”
Psalm 66 is a powerful summons to give the LORD the praise he deserves. It calls for all the people of the earth to give God glory for His mighty acts in history. It refers to God’s victory over His enemies, to His deliverance of Israel from bondage in Egypt, and to His eternal rule over the nations. It praises God for times of testing, and for the place of abundance. It reminds us to fulfill our vows to the Lord because He is worthy and willing to receive our feeble offerings. It paints a compelling portrait of one to whom praise is due.
Yet, this God of the universe, who moves nations and reigns forever over all of creation, also cares for us. Listen as I read the Psalmist’s words in verses 16-20:
Psalm 66:16-20:
Come and hear, all who fear God,
And I will tell of what He has done for my soul.
I cried to Him with my mouth,
And He was extolled with my tongue.
If I regard wickedness in my heart,
The Lord will not hear;
But certainly God has heard;
He has given heed to the voice of my prayer.
Blessed be God,
Who has not turned away my prayer
Nor His lovingkindness from me.
(NASB)
“Let me tell you what God has done for me.”
I found this passage several years ago, and it quickly took root. It became a theme for my life, the central rhythm for the heartbeat of my journey with the LORD. Yet, as so often happens, time passed and my season changed. The LORD brought other passages to bear on my life; other promises from His Scriptures, other verses to shape my walk of faith or to correct my lack of it.
Job 19:25: “For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the face of the earth.” An amazing proclamation, born from the depths of Job’s suffering, yet declaring in faith that God will redeem and once more reign over all the earth...
Philippians 4:6-7: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God; and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” A promise of God’s providence and love in the midst of doubt and worry.
Isaiah 42:6-8: “The LORD says, ‘I called you to do right. And I will hold your hand. I will protect you. You will be the sign of my agreement with the people. You will be the light to shine for all people. You will help the blind to see. You will free those who are in prison. You will lead those who live in darkness out of their prison. I AM the LORD. That is my name. I will not give my glory to another. I will not let idols take the praise that should be mine.’” (ICB)...
Each of these passages has held the central place in my journey after the LORD for a season. Each one represented a promise and a reminder of God’s plan for my life. Each spoke to me.
I can only imagine you have similar Scriptures written across the pages of your history as well. At least, if you’ve been a follower of Christ for any length of time, then I’m sure you do. These words, these verses, have become part of your journey of discipleship. They form the chapter headings for your story, the stepping stones on your walk with Jesus, the margins for the narrative of your life.
This is how it should be. Revelation 12:11 says, “They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.” It is entirely fitting that the Word (that is, the Gospel of the Lamb) and the word (that is, our testimony) should so often meet in the texts of the Scriptures.
Therefore, I would like to tell you some of what the LORD has done for me…
I would like to give you a bit of my testimony.
I was born in a culturally Christian home. I didn’t lack much, but what I did lack mattered... “Mission Accomplished?”
I accepted Christ when I was 10 years old... “Just step out and I will walk with you.”
I struggled between being a sinner and being a good person... In other words, “I became a teenager.”
I enjoyed church, but didn’t experience God very often... “I just kept showing up.”
I encountered God and began to follow Him earnestly... “A time of learning and growth in ministry”
I went to Africa and came to the end of myself... “Availability matters more than Ability”
I married Olivia and realized I still had a lot of self left. (If you’re married you probably don’t need the details, and if you aren’t married, you don’t want to hear them.) But, I am not exaggerating to say that while we both love each other and believe in our marriage, we’ve also been pretty rough on each other at times.
As a family, we have had a rough time and faced many trials, but kept believing... Kids?... Ministry?... School?... Fired!...
Ahava was born… and thrived!... “Living in the Neonatal ICU?”
Now we are home, and I am slowly coming out my shellshock... Post-traumatic is not an inaccurate description of the situation I find myself in. In some ways I’m still trying to find my footing.
So, why have I told you all of this? I don’t know you, and even after hearing my story you don’t really know me. What could I possibly have to gain by providing you with this overview of Bryan’s Life?
It’s simple really: I want to give God glory and I want to overcome!
I want to beat the devil. I want to stand up in the face of all the death, lies, and rejection, and even in the face of my own sin and proclaim that Christ is victorious. His blood covers me. “There is now NO CONDEMNATION for those who are in Christ.”
And, in this way, I want to encourage you to do the same. God has given each of us a great gift; He has given us a testimony. “I will declare what He has done for my soul… He has attended to the voice of my prayer.”
What about you? What is your story? Maybe it’s a hard story, full of disappointment or pain? Maybe it seems like a simple story, you’ve been protected and provided for, and known the goodness of the LORD without a lot of struggle? Maybe your story lies somewhere between these two extremes?
Whatever you’ve been through, wherever your path has led, however rocky or smooth the way, your testimony is a gift. It is a treasure of experience and opportunities, good and bad, found and missed… a journey the LORD wants you to offer back up to Him in the presence of others as you invite them to join you, to join us, in praising God for His mighty acts, His victories, His deliverance, and His simple presence.
Remember: Your testimony isn’t about you; it’s about the LORD.
Your testimony is about God’s hand writing His story in your clay.
Perhaps you’ve never shared your testimony? Perhaps you don’t feel like you have one? Well, I have good news for you. Are you ready? I’ve got some homework for you. When was the last time someone gave you some homework? Well, that’s too long! So, here it is: Write your testimony down. (I’m not kidding, and I’ll be back next week, so no skipping out!)
First, find a quiet place and about an hour and listen to the LORD. Ask Him to remind you of the Scriptures He has written over your life. Ask Him to show you the journey you’ve had together. You may have to do some housecleaning, but that’s ok. When He gives you something to deal with, deal with it and then get back to your homework. And, if the enemy comes in to steal, kill, or destroy what you’re doing, then you just tell Him you’re busy and he’ll have to find someone else to bother for a while.
Then, write it down. It doesn’t have to be pretty. It doesn’t have to be long. If it is, that’s fine, but that isn’t the point. Write it down, type it out, rewrite it a few times it if you need to. But, get the story out on paper. You have a God-given testimony. Go find it.
Finally, share it. If you are married, share it with your spouse. If you’ve got kids, share it with them. If you’ve got a dog, practice on the dog and then take your dog for a walk and share it with a neighbor. One of the enemy’s great lies is that our story isn’t worth telling... But, I say that any story with God fighting for the center of it is worth telling again and again.
Now, let’s just think about that for a moment - That nagging sense of doubt, that nervous laugh, that fear of looking silly, that desire to sneak out the back door - Where is that from? Who is it telling you your story isn’t worth sharing? Well, God loves your story; He’s the one writing your story, so I don’t think it’s Him.
So, why that whisper of hesitation? It’s the enemy. And, why wouldn’t he want you to tell your story? If you’re story isn’t important, why would he bother to tell you it isn’t important. But, if God is in your story and you are part of His story, then you’ve got a testimony worth talking about. Find it. Write it down. Share it. Give God glory for His work in your life.
Tell what He has done for you. Give God glory and overcome!
{Don’t you know God wants the best for you? That He wants victory for you? I don’t mean any of that health and wealth stuff you might see on TV. I mean real riches, real victory! I mean a new sense of freedom based on who your story tells you that you are in Christ. I mean a new understanding of your purpose in life and the power your testimony has for offering hope to others… hope, encouragement, something to strive for, or just the realization that maybe their life isn’t so bad after all. I mean the riches of standing before the LORD at the end of it all and hearing, “Well done good and faithful servant,” and knowing what He’s talking about because you’ve seen your story change someone else’s story.}
Overcome the enemy: If you really know that your Redeemer lives, tell someone about it. If God’s peace has seen you through seasons of anxiety or doubt, then someone you know probably needs to know there is light at the end of that tunnel. If there was a time when your sin kept you from experiencing God’s Grace, that’s a warning others need to learn from as well.
{Ok. So, you’ve heard my story. You know we’ve had some difficult trials. But, do you know how we’ve held on through all those times? Maybe you know the pain of losing a child? Perhaps you’ve been fired or struggled with a chronic illness? Maybe you’ve been frustrated with a form of Christianity that made God seem passive and secondary? How did you make it through?} How did you overcome?
“…by the blood of the Lamb and the word of… testimony” {We’re making it through because we know that God is with us, and we’ve seen Him work in the lives of His people, including people just like you. There may still be recovery coming, but I believe it is coming. More than that, I believe God has even greater things in store for us. Why?} “…the blood of the Lamb and the word…” of testimonies just like yours.
So, find your testimony, write it down, and share it. Tell your family, tell your friends, tell your neighbor, tell the world what God has done for you.
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This text based on my notes for a sermon I gave in a small church last week.
Sections marked by (...) mark areas where I expanded my comments, usually with
commentary on the LORD's work in my own life.
The sections in {}'s was skipped or abbreviated because I ran out of time.
The sections in {}'s was skipped or abbreviated because I ran out of time.
As usually happens, the LORD also gave me material I did not have in my notes.
I have attempted to remember and include some of that as well.
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