Can My Life Really Be A Witness For God?
So often, when I look back over my life; I see all the times that I have failed to love God as I should. I see my failures looming like giants and God’s grace as greater still. The other day I heard from someone out of my distant past, who said; “Because of you, I found Christ. You had such a tremendous impact on my life.” Now, what is more amazing, when I remember that time in my life; I realized that it was God’s Grace that allowed them to see Christ through whatever blurred picture I was displaying. Truly, I remember a bumbling, faltering testimony. A candle that barely flickered and a stream that had so little water trickling through it. Through the scars, cracks and crevices of my life the Holy Spirit shone forth and had touched another’s soul. That for me is such a humbling thought; that God would be so gracious as to use someone like me to do His work. So, if you ever thought that you are a poor witness for Christ or ever worried that your testimony would be more of a disgrace than benefit to God? God has promised to be the rivers of life flowing through your heart and mine for others to see His Glory and come to Christ. Why do I say that? 
JESUS PROMISE TO OVERFLOW OUR HEARTS WITH LIVING WATER
Remember that where we left off on Monday, Jesus had quietly gone up to the feast of the tabernacles and had been teaching in the synagogue every day. “37 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ 39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit” (John 7 NKJV). Up until now in the book of John we have heard that Jesus has said that He is the living water, He is the bread of life and that He brings spiritual birth. He has presented this through His words and through the example of His miracles from changing the purifying water into wine to feeding the crowd. Now He takes this one step further by saying, “Not only will I be life to all who believe in me; but, I will fill them to the overflowing so they can spill over rivers of life to others.”
HIS WORKS OF GRACE THROUGH ME, NOT MINE
Do you see how amazing that is? He has promised to save me—to make me spiritually alive so that I can live eternally in His presence. He has then promised that He will step by step transform my heart. Beyond that, He is going to shine His light through the crevices and cracks of my heart to others in need of salvation. His work WILL BE accomplished through me. As, we noted Monday. God is in Control of every detail of my life and yours.
DOES THAT MEAN I DO NOTHING?
It means I take my eyes off of me and keep them focused on Him. Through all the years of stumbling even still, I have learned one thing. I keep my focus on Him, my hearts longing to be near to Jesus grows each day. Through every trial I have walked, I have found Him faithful. Every stumbling of my two feet, I found Him there ready to pick me up and teach me a lesson through His word and His steady, gentle voice guiding me. So what part do I have? I love Him because of who He is. I trust Him in the midst of every storm; because, I know He is trustworthy. I seek Him through prayer and reading His word. Then I rest in the truth that He will complete the work He began in me. I have no fears from my failures. Does God hate my sin? Yes, and as I gaze upon Him; I too learn to see and hate my sin. Still, in that hatred; I learn to trust in the grace that is my salvation.
LOOK AT ISAIAH 12:
And in that day thou shalt say, O Lord, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me. 2 Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. 3 Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. 4 And in that day shall ye say, Praise the Lord, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted. 5 Sing unto the Lord; for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth.
SO HOW DO WE BECOME A WITNESS FOR CHRIST?
So, dear friends, do not become discouraged by looking only at you. Look at God who has so graciously offered you His hand of salvation.As you gaze upon Him, He will fill you with the rivers of life that will overflow and spread the gospel to others.Begin by just telling your story of His grace to you. Praise Him for the salvation He has so freely given. As you do that, you will find that you see His Hand of Grace in the midst of all you do. As that praise grows, your desire to be in His presence will also grow. You will see that He will transform you from the inside out. Will there be trials? Yes. Those never come from God’s anger with you—instead they come from His loving heart that knows exactly how to transform your heart into one that can rejoice in His Glory. God’s desire is that we become so satisfied in Him that we do not hunger or thirst for anything else. Only then do we find rivers of joy in the midst of the deserts of our lives.
Psalms 1: Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
Let me end you with these verses from 2 Corinthians 3: “16 Nevertheless when it (the heart) shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
So, my dear brothers and sisters in Christ–don’t worry. [bctt tweet=” Just turn your eyes upon Jesus and let Him do the rest. “][bctt tweet=”As you gaze upon Him, He will fill you with the rivers of life that will overflow with life”]
Do you have a story of how God used you as a testimony to others? Click here to share your story.
The song I chose for you today is: Turn Yours Eyes Upon Jesus
The artist that drew the picture “A Broken and Contrite Heart” featured on my header and who designed my logo is Ronald Barba. Feel free to email me at Artedabarba@gmail.com or purchase his art at http://fineartamerica.com/art/all/ronald+barba/all
Original photograph obtained from unsplash.com
New King James Version (NKJV)
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.