Witnesses

 Every day our lives, we display a witness of something, whether joys or tragedies. In most cases, we can choose what that witness will be by deciding how to act, or attempt to act. When adapting our response to the things that happen around us and to us, we must remember that we have experienced God's saving work and are experiencing sanctification. We have been adopted as His children. We have the Holy Spirit living within us and can expect a mighty deliverance in the future. When we consider these blessings, how can we remain silent? Our lives will testify to our trust in His guidance. Yes, we experience daily challenges, but contemplating our present status via being indwelt by God, the Holy Spirit and our future home, should overpower feelings of discouragement, bitterness, or pessimism. We need to display our confidence in the God who raised Jesus from physical death. He is our Savior and he has set in us a deposit, promising to always love us. We should remember that besides the Holy Spirit inside us, Hebrews 12 reminds us we are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses for our encouragement and 1 Peter 2 reminds us that we are here as witnesses to "declare the praises of him who has called us out of darkness into his marvelous light." And Isaiah also reminds us about Jesus, "I, I am the Lord, and besides me there is no savior.  I declared and saved and proclaimed, when there was no strange god among you; and you are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and I am God.” - Isa. 43:11-12 (ESV).