Heart to Heart

Scriptures;  Psalm 107:  1Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His loving devotion endures forever. 2Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy.    Psalm 106: 10He saved them from the hand that hated them; He redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.    Isaiah 35: 10So the redeemed of the LORD will return and enter Zion with singing, crowned with everlasting joy. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee.    Psalm 62: 12And they will be called the Holy People, the Redeemed of The LORD; and you will be called Sought Out, A City Not Forsaken.

How will we learn from one another?  How will we equip one another?  How can we encourage one another?  Well, one way is sharing our testimony.  We overcome by the word of our testimony.  I love the praise shout, “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so!”  In Psalm 107, David  exhorts us to readily remember and share with others God’s goodness.  I absolutely love testimony time.  Though, I have had my experiences where I have seen God so much greater than I saw him before, I understand whole-heartedly how we are here for one another.  God did not create or save us to be islands.  No matter how some may believe, it is true God has caused us to need each other.  I will never forget at a revival service I attended when I was 15 years old.  I was sitting on the choir loft, as I was a member of the guest choir for that night.  It was testimony time; and this gentleman stood up with great energy and began to share.  He transparently discussed his young years of trouble and how he ultimately found himself in prison.  In prison, he shared how he had to fight often both physically and mentally.  He shared how he would fight until he and the others were shedding blood.  As he continued, he began to share how the Lord even allowed him to suffer the most humiliating event; he stated, “I had my  manhood taken.”  I remember the church went silent.  The gentleman had every person’s attention.  He shared how he knew that it was that very act that caused him to seek the Lord; he literally did not have any other place to go.  Shortly after that horrific experience, the gentleman stated how he accepted Christ as His Savior.  This gentleman stated how he felt led to share all the gory details of what it took for him to recognize God’s relentless love toward him.  Needless to say, I was flabbergasted!  How could he vibrantly speak of God’s love when He knew that it was God who allowed such bad things to happen to him.  Why was he not bitter and cold?  Why was he not blaming God instead of praising Him?  I thought all this and more.  I had been in church all my life, but I had never heard such a testimony.  That night the revivalist, Evangelist Baltimore, preached the message of salvation, and I was brought to tears.  I realized that I had never given my life to Jesus.  I was the one on the choir, on the usher board, but was not of or in Christ.  Well, that night, I did it.  I asked my cousin to walk the aisle with me and she did.  I gave my life to Christ!!  That gentleman’s response to his “trial” captured my attention so much so that it softened my heart to truly hear the gospel message that night.  Grateful!!

Prayer:  Lord, thank You for the way You have made us need one another.  Thank You for giving us experiences that will cause another to wake up and see You, High and Lifted…thank You for Your constant love toward us, even in the “most foulest” states.  You truly will not stop at nothing to get us to see You. For only You know what we need.  We praise You for that!!  In Jesus’ Most Precious and Treasured Name- Amen!!    

(by Lisa Williams)