Devotionals for the Heart: The power of our testimony about Jesus Christ

What’s Your Testimony?
A devotional by Aubrey Taylor

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”—2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV)

A friend and I agree that for many years, we felt like we had no testimony. She was saved at age 3. I was saved at age 5. What was there to tell?

Later, when I thought about it again, I realized there is so much to tell. I can share about the way God has guided and protected me, keeping me from crossing a thousand boundaries that I would’ve crossed if it were not for His gentle (and sometimes not so gentle) presence with me. I know the pain from the curveballs life has thrown my way was blunted—not prevented—by God’s hand.

Even in the seasons of my life when His protection was not so gentle and He had to keep me in line through many painful pruning sessions (due to calamities of my own making), God was there, keeping me for the purpose He had for me. It was a future only He could see. But I learned that His plans for me are good, just like He promises in Jeremiah 29:11.

It is true that I came to know Jesus Christ when I was five years old, but it is also true that if it weren’t for His presence in my life, I would’ve been dead by fifteen.

As our Heavenly Father, God lays out a path for each of us. Like a wise and talented author of books, God has plotted our entire story, and we are walking through it, discovering it for ourselves. That is not to say there are not plot twists and turns along the way. Some, God has planned in advance. Other diversions are ones we have chosen, and He has allowed. While they may not be His best for us, He uses them to add color and depth to our story. Our pain may be self-inflicted, but it contributes to a more beautiful conclusion and makes God more precious to us because we see His beauty, His purity, and His care in a way we didn’t before.

As we are open about our past, our lives, and our choices (good and bad), He will use our experiences to speak to others. Perhaps we’re not the one getting up on a platform and sharing about a miraculous shift from darkness to light, but those things that seem like minutiae as we share them over a cup of coffee might be just what another person needs to hear.

Dear friend, please take a moment to reflect on all God has done for you. Remember that His power was (and is) at work in your life in ways you could not see and may not see now. Those changes might have been small, but they may have effects that far outweigh a momentary, drastic salvation story. Both types of testimony have eternal value. Both are precious in His sight. When you have finished reflecting, please join me in prayer.

Let’s Pray:

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank You that You had Your eye on me throughout my life. Whether I was aware of it or not You were preparing me. Thank You for every scar, for every one of my mistakes which You have used for good, and that You never gave up on me. It may have been a bumpy, winding road that brought me to You, or it may have been a path that was relatively straight. Either way, I am glad that You have brought me this far, and I pray that I am drawing ever nearer to the purpose You have for me. Please use my story to encourage someone else today.

In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection #1: “In Christ Alone/The Solid Rock” by Travis Cottrell. Listen to it here.

Song of Reflection #2: “I Know the Plans (Audrey’s Song)” by Damaris Carbaugh. Listen to it here.

Song of Reflection #3: “Mercy Said No” by CeCe Winans. Listen to it here.

Song of Reflection #4: “Scars” by I Am They. Listen to it here.

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Author Bio:

As a child, Aubrey spent countless hours creating characters and writing stories. 

Thirty years later, she took up her pen again, uniting her fascination for history with her passion for redemption. The stories she creates are a unique brand of gritty, honest wartime sagas, written from the German perspective.

Aubrey is the mother of three children, and she is married to her best friend Brian.

When she’s not writing or taking care of home and family, she can often be found making music, reading, or spending time with friends.

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Connect with Aubrey:
Website: www.aubreytaylorbooks.com
Blog: www.aubreytaylorbooks.com/blog
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aubreytaylorbooks
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aubreytaylorbooks/
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/aubtaybooks