1 samuel 17: 1-54
“Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, 35 I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. 36 Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. 37 The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.”
It is fascinating the dictionary defines the word ‘testimony’ as an evidence or proof provided by the existence of something. I will like to re-word this sentence to read thus: An evidence or proof provided by the existence of God.
A testimony is an account of what God has done – it encourages others, builds our faith, and breeds confidence in God and His word. Though most times overlooked, a testimony is your assurance of hope for the next challenge you may face; it is the victory required for tomorrow’s battle.
In the story of David and Goliath, you’ve got to wonder what fueled such an undaunted confidence in David? Analyzing the enormity of this situation, David was seemingly no match for Goliath in the scheme of things – not by any human reasoning or logic. But the words proceeding from David’s mouth revealed a deep seated faith in the Almighty God.
One of the profound statements David made was in verses 34-37 “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, 35 I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. 36 Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. 37 The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.”
Aha! This explains David’s boldness, and uncompromising faith in God – he had proved God at other times, and so was confident in God’s ability to deliver. You see, David had a testimony; fighting a lion and bear is not an everyday occurrence. David believed that the God who gave him a testimony yesterday, will also give him another testimony today!
What is your testimony? What has God done for you in times past? How have you proved God since you became a Christian? Your testimony in times past is your victory for years to come.
So when faced with yet another challenge, remember the things God has done for you at other times; recount your testimonies, and hold unto God – this will help you to win some other victories!
Take a moment today to reflect on what God has done for you in times past.