As a child of God, we each have a story to share.
This last month, my new devotional, Sharpened, Wielded, & Ready: A 70-Day Devotional From My Journey Into TRUTH, was released on Amazon. However, from the moment the idea popped into my head, I wrestled with the follow-through. Time and again, I put the project aside, only to feel no peace until I picked it up and pressed on.
My struggle was not in the writing. Each entry was simply how a particular passage of God’s Word had spoken to me. The turmoil within me stemmed from my lack of confidence. I questioned my credentials, asking myself what qualified me to publish a devotional.
However, as I neared completion of the book, I ran into a friend at the store. As we talked, I shared the doubts hindering me… how I did not feel qualified. She stared at me for a few seconds, and then her words put it all into perspective. She told me my faith was the only qualification I needed. I realized at that moment that each segment of this devotional was a piece of my own personal journey… a testimony that God had given me to share.
Then, a few weeks ago, I studied the Old Testament Book of Amos. One particular passage stirred my soul, and I read it again and again, remembering what this friend had said to me at the store. In Chapter 7:14-15, Amos says, “… I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet’s son; but I was an herdman, and a gatherer of sycamore fruit: And the Lord took me as I followed the flock, and the Lord said to me, Go, prophecy unto my people Israel” (Amos 7:14-15 KJV). Amos was an ordinary man, and as he obediently followed God, he shared what God had placed on his heart.
Friends, as we enter this new year, I encourage you not to hold back or let the enemy discourage you from sharing whatever message or testimony that God has given you. I believe that our world needs to hear about the love of Jesus more than ever. And if we have accepted Christ as our Savior, our faith in Jesus is our credentials for telling others what He has done for us. Our past does not define us but is a testament to God’s love and His saving grace. Paul persecuted and murdered Christians, yet by God’s grace, his sins were washed clean (See Acts 22). And through the message God laid on his heart, Paul wrote about half of the books in the New Testament.
So, as we begin 2025, let us pray and ask God to lead us and give us the words and actions that will proclaim His love.
