I have just come back from a retreat and was blown away by the burden’s that people carry. The bible tells us to bear one another’s burdens. So many of us walk around with masks on. We put a smile on our face, when inside we are living in turmoil. There’s a testimony inside all of us. Our testimonies are not for us to hold onto and keep to ourselves. We walk though stuff so that we have testimonies that we can share with others and help grow their faith.
After a prompting from the Holy Ghost, our Pastor asked that all in the chapel struggling with family issues (in summary) raise their hand. 90% of them raised their hand. I was amazed. Here we all were spending time together with God. Spending time alone with God. Getting to know each other on a more personal basis and sharing our testimonies. Yet still 90% of the people there were going through a storm.
When we follow Christ, we will have testimony after testimony. I say this because there is a war for our souls. If we are winning the war, the enemy will keep coming at us and every time we defeat him and his devious plans we have yet another testimony. 90% of the people at the retreat are going to have another testimony to share, because God is faithful.
The enemy wants to destroy us. Satan, knows that he can never have the gift that Jesus has given us. Satan will spend eternity in the burning flames of hell. He hates knowing that, so he hates us and wants to destroy our faith in God so that we live for him, that we live for the world and not for Jesus.
Satan must ask God to remove His hand of protection, remove the covering over us before he can ever throw anything at us. God does allow certain things to happen to test our faith, to see where our loyalties lie and see who we trust. Do we trust ourselves to get out of our mess, or are we laying all our burdens down and giving them to God?
Before we can have the testimony we must take the test. Many things we experience and many struggles we walk through is a test of our faith. It is a test of who we put our trust in. How will we handle ourselves, how will we treat others when we are walking through the storms of life’s test? Are we holding on to the Lord while walking through our storms? Or are we blaming God for our struggles? Well, I can tell you that I used to be guilty of pointing my finger at God and blaming Him. But here again, God is not the one to blame. Many times we ourselves are the cause of our struggles, but God is not. Other times Satan is to blame.
6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them. 7 And the LORD said to Satan, “From where do you come?” So Satan answered the LORD and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.” 8 Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that [there is] none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?” 9 So Satan answered the LORD and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing? 10 “Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 “But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!” 12 And the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has [is] in your power; only do not lay a hand on his [person].” So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.
Job 1:6-12 NKJV
We Overcome By The Blood of Jesus And The Word Of Our Testimony
11 “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.
Rev 12:11 NKJV
29 “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 “For My yoke [is] easy and My burden is light.”
Mat 11:29-30 NKJV
6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. 8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. 10 But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle [you].
1 Peter 5:6-10 NKJV
