March 30, 2017 | Testimony

“When I was secure, I said,
‘I will never be shaken.’
LORD, when You showed Your favor,
You made me stand like a strong mountain;
when You hid Your face, I was terrified.
LORD, I called to You;
I sought favor from my Lord:
You turned my lament into dancing;
You removed my sackcloth
and clothed me with gladness.”
[Psalm 30:6-8, 11 HCSB]
Testimony
Psalm 30 is a testimonial song. Testimonies are statements of truth about God, His Word, and His work. Such statements appear throughout scripture, but are especially personal in the psalms. In fact, the psalms are full of testimonies because our lives are supposed to be testimonial. These timeless summaries tell the truth about what God’s people have experienced throughout history – the same truth people need to experience today.
Cindy Sharp, a member of my pulpit team (a marvelous group that helps me evaluate and prepare my teaching), recently wrote the following about the importance of sharing truth:
Truth is like stepping stones across a vast and deep sea. It is what lets us navigate life. We can build on truth. We can count on it remaining the same. When truth is replaced with lies it is as if the stepping stones are suddenly lily pads – pretty to look at and sweet smelling, but unstable. Like lily pads, lies send us to a watery grave when we attempt to walk and/or build on them.
– Cindy Sharp
May we all bear testimony every day as a matter of course. May we speak about God’s truth in our lives so that others can distinguish between lily pads and solid rock.