PSALM 73:25 – Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.

THEME OF THE DAY. OUR TESTIMONIES OF CHRIST. Testimonies are part of the Christian life. Every Christian has two. They consist of the one established when a person becomes a Christian and then followed by the one established and maintained in living the Christian life.

In regards to our conversion testimonies, some might be dramatic. The testimony of the Apostle Paul coming to Christ falls in that category. His conversion story was extraordinary with the blazing light of the glory of Jesus Christ knocking him to the ground on the Damascus Road (Acts 9:1-9). Others are as calm as Lydia, the seller of purple goods and a resident in Philippi – “So, setting sail from Troas, we made a direct voyage to Samothrace, and the following day to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city some days. And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together. One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul” (Acts 16:11-14). She wasn’t knocked anyway in dramatic fashion. The Lord simply gave her spiritual eyes to understand herself, the Gospel, and she became one of His. It doesn’t matter the way of the testimony – dramatic or ordinary – the importance is that we have a testimony of becoming a follower of Christ.

Then there is the testimony Christians have AFTER conversion. It is the testimony of the place Christ holds in our hearts and minds. Unlike our conversion testimony, this one may be good or bad. We determine the type and quality of our “life testimony” daily. Our post-conversion testimony is what shapes our lives. It is what puts purpose in what we do, why we do it, and who we do it for. And when it comes to a God-honoring and glorifying life testimony, the one to model is that of the Apostle Paul. Here is his . . . “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead” (Philippians 3:7-11). So, how may we be able to sincerely proclaim from our hearts and lives the testimony of the Apostle Paul, “I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus” and “That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection”? Two things . . .

First, start praying today’s scripture asking the Lord to reveal Himself as the “Pearl of Great Prize”, “The Crown Jewel of Heaven” and the supreme source of soul-satisfaction and contentment. As Christ reveals His majestic glory and holy beauty to us, knowing Him will become our chief delight, passion and pursuit. The result will be time in His Word and prayer becoming disciplines of delight to satisfy the longing of our souls.

Next, be convinced that knowing, fellowshipping, and loving Christ through His Word, prayer, and service are the reasons why we were saved and why we are still on the earth. Understanding our created and redemptive purposes gives life direction, motivation, and energizes us to be about those purposes. Life takes a joyful and fulfilling existence when we are pursuing the very reasons for our existence. And what a great privilege to seek Christ and be able to leave a testimony like the Apostle Paul to all who know us; a testimony giving glory to the saving and sanctifying grace of God.

PRAYER: “Father, show me the inestimable value and pleasure in knowing You and Your Son.”

QUOTE: “The Christian life becomes the Christian life when the chief desire in the Christian’s life is Christ”