In Nehemiah Chapters 1 through 6, we see Nehemiah weeping and mourning for his country. He accepted the call from God to go to Jerusalem to rebuild the city walls and the gates; this had not been accomplished in over 140 years. Though fearful of approaching King Artaxerxes for permission to leave court, Nehemiah trusted God to grant him favor with the king.  He prayed, reminding himself of the God in whom he had faith, “... Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments” (Neh. 1:5).

Once in Jerusalem, Nehemiah faced new hurdles for rebuilding the wall, from verbal discouragement to physical assaults.  He was not deterred by the efforts of Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem to derail God’s plan to restore His people to their homeland. Some of the men worked with one hand and carried a weapon in the other, while others worked with a sword girded to their side.  Nehemiah’s encouragement, “Our God will fight for us,” (Neh. 4:20b) allowed them to continue working on the wall and accomplishing the task that God has called them to do; it was completed in 52 days. God gave Nehemiah success.


Despite the naysayers and mockers among my family members and friends, my son’s homeschool journey was a success.  He completed high school with many college credits, attended a private Christian college, completed two Master’s degrees in Ministry and is now serving God as a Chaplain.  God gave my son academic success, and is using him to reach the lost.


We often face challenges that seem too big to overcome. Like Nehemiah we need to remind ourselves of the great God we serve.  Our God is sovereign.  He is in control of everything that happens in our lives; our best made plans will fall apart without God’s gracious hand upon them.  Trust the calling of your heart to the Lord, and He will go before you.


God wants to use us to accomplish His divine plans. He gives us opportunities to seek Him, trust Him, and hold fast to His promises. May we eagerly respond to His invitation to make an eternal impact on the lives of those around us.  He alone can give us victory.​

As I grew in faith by feasting on God’s Word, I was drawn closer to Christ. Victory over sin is a testimony I could share.  It is not the ‘accepting Jesus Christ as my savior’ testimony, but it's a testimony of what He is doing in our lives today; our ‘Today Testimony’ is the evidence of Godly living. 
 
In 1 Peter 3, the apostle is writing to Christians about Godly living. He tells wives to submit to their husbands and husbands to love their wives, according to their God-given roles. Wives are to obey because God commands them to, and husbands will find their prayers hindered if they dishonor their wives.  Peter encourages his brethren to love each other, be compassionate, humble, and to turn from evil and do good. Verse 17 of 1 Peter 3 tells us, “It is better, if it is God's will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.”  The challenge for these believers was to respond in love, even if they should suffer for doing what was right.  Living in exile, as aliens in a foreign land, they were facing daily persecution because of their faith in Christ. Despite the hardships they were facing, the way they lived their lives was a testimony to those around them. Each day, they could share a testimony with others of how and why they lived as they did, a ‘Today Testimony.’ Their ‘Today Testimony’ could lead to sharing their saving testimony.  
 
Jesus hung on the cross to save us all, but He, too, began with a ‘Today Testimony’ as He prayed, ‘Father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing’ (Luke 23:34).  This led to one of the criminals who hung beside Him being saved that day (Luke 23:40-43). Because of Jesus’ example, we can share our ‘Today Testimony’ with others.
 
A Today Testimony is built on a Saving Testimony.
 
Have you ever struggled with sharing your testimony? Does telling your whole story seem too daunting? Then, how about sharing your ‘Today Testimony’? God is at work in your life every day, in small ways and in great ways. When your little one has a meltdown at the playground and you are able to hug him despite your anger and embarrassment, credit God for giving you patience.  When you can joyfully celebrate the birth of your best friend’s fifth child, despite your fourth miscarriage and your ‘still empty arms,’ credit the joy to your growing faith and trust in a sovereign God. Your ‘Today Testimony’ could lead someone to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. What an awesome privilege that would be!  

​In Isaiah 6:1-4, Isaiah saw God in all His glory, and he was overwhelmed!  How could he, a sinful man, living among a disobedient, sinful people, (the people of Judah), see the King, the Lord Almighty, and live? Recognizing his unworthiness, Isaiah cried out, “Woe to me! I am ruined” (Is. 6:5). Yet, because of God’s great love for His children, He transforms us and makes us worthy (2 Thess. 1:11).  He did this for Isaiah and He continues to do this for everyone who calls Him ‘Abba Father.’  
 
Isaiah’s response to the Lord’s voice saying, “Whom shall I send?  And who will go for us?”
(Is. 6:8), was  immediate.  Without knowing what he was being asked to do, or where he was being sent, he responded, “Here am I,  Send me” (Is. 6:8).  Having experienced God’s love and mercy, he no longer felt inadequate. He was ready to answer God’s call.
 
You too, have probably struggled with answering God’s call to serve Him.  We want to know the minutest details. Where? When? How?  Are we qualified? In evaluating my qualifications or ‘worthiness’ to answer God’s call, I was looking at the things the world told me I needed:  experience, a perfect family, to be “good enough.” You probably have a similar list. 
 
However, God sees us so differently from the way we see ourselves.  In His eyes, we are worthy because He has made us worthy; the blood that Jesus shed on the cross qualifies us. We need only to have hearts that are willing to do His will. The rest is up to Him.
 
In Christ, we are competent for every calling.
 
I thank God for calling me to serve Him for those three years. I was blessed by the women we served, and those that I served alongside. We saw God at work in our families. My children were nurtured in God’s word, and that has been foundational in their lives. I am still friends with many of the moms from my group. I would have missed a great blessing had I said, “No,” to serving God.
 
Is God calling you? Do you hear His faint whisper calling you to step out in faith? Friend, even though you and I may not have a vision of the Almighty as Isaiah did, He still calls us to do His will. Let us put aside our reservations and our reasons, so that we may answer faithfully and boldly as Isaiah did, "Here am I. Send me" (Is. 6:8).