Nehemiah 9:7 – “You are the Lord God,
Who chose Abram,
And brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans, And gave him the name Abraham…”
Today’s Old Testament One Year Bible reading carries over into tomorrow as a prayer delineating Israel’s history. It chronicles their origin and highlights God’s intervention in developing this infant nation. It follows Israel and their struggles to be obedient to Jehovah who claims them as His own. Tomorrow’s reading brings the prayer to the present day and summarizes the spiritual condition of the people.
I was so moved by today’s reading that I thought I would pause and reflect. I went back to my origins and began to type my history. I reflected on the highlights in my life so far, including the ups and downs, and brought it to where I am today. Then I concluded with a prayer to God about the future. It was a tremendous experience. As I read over what I had written, I was filled with thanksgiving and praise to a God who has been watching over me since before my birth until now. And it gave me faith to believe God for the future.
I want to encourage you to sit down and take some time to write out your history and testimony. Use the passage in Nehemiah chapter 9 as a template. Start with the journey of your ancestors, if you know it. Then pick up when you came on the scene and what life was like before you came to faith in Christ. Highlight the ups and downs since then. Summarize where you are now and conclude with a prayer to God about the future. This will be your personal testimony and it will cause you to see the hand of God in your life. Hopefully, you will have much to write about in the days yet to come because God isn’t finished with you yet!