psalm 89:1 A Poem of Ethan the Ezrahite. I will sing of the mercies of the LORD forever; with my mouth I will make known Your faithfulness to all generations. For I have said, Mercy shall be built up forever; You shall establish Your faithfulness in the heavens.

A while ago I had the privaledge to declare God’s mercy and making known the faithfulness God! I got to share my testimony at our womens meeting at church. A couple of others gave their testimony too – of healing or salvation.

There were some specific things i wanted to share within my testimony – words that i felt had more authority or were hook words…

IRRELEVANT

RELEVANT

MERCY

FAITHFULNESS

REAL GOD

I shared about growing up as a child going to the catholic church – it was the religious thing to do – as irrelevant to my real life as the no meat on friday rule and the roasary thing. Church on sunday ment wearing pretty clothes and coming home to a roast cooked by dad.

I did however hunger to know if God was REAL and be known by Him. But it didnt seem like there was any way to.

When I was 14 i went to a catholic high school, a co-ed school of 300 students. i was top of my year in Religious Education – but again it was irrelevant to real life and didnt make God real at all. I ended up going to the youth group and they said we were goin to do a course on “knowing the Holy Spirit” – well this was my chance! Finally i was going to find out if God was real! The course got cancelled because of lack of interest. Well that was that. God was OBVIOUSLY not real because if he was real he would have obviously set up the course so i would do it and believe…

So that was great. I could live my life without having to think about God. Make my own decisions with no thought to heaven and God and things like that…

The next year our family moved and i had the culture shock of the century…. I had to go to a girls school – of 1000 students!!!

The next year a friend of mine invited me to go to her youth group… i asked… are there boys there….? There sure were… so off i went! Yes, my sole motivation at that stage for goign to youth group was BOYS! Not the most kosher reason for joining a youth group but God had hoodwinked me… I went and part of the evening was for singing and learning about God. I could survive and sit through anything to meet boys! This young guy (not one of the boys i wnet to meet…) picked up his guitar and then everyone closed their eyes and dropped their heads. i looked around then followed suit. he prayed. and my eyes popped open – he was talking to GOD! and at that moment i also knew that God was REAL and knew me and loved me and was RELEVANT and amazing and awesome and well REAL! i knew at taht point also that if God was real then i had to respond to that. I had to do something. I had to give my life to Him. (NOTE: This is pre being talked to about “giving your life to jesus cliche type things…”)

i went to their easter camp ready to beocme a christian… a what??? i didnt really know… but i know i left a new person. i left knowing God. i left forgiven. i left transformed…

In the 15 years since becoming a christian i have found these 2 things to be totally real in my life:

1. God is relevant – wehre the religious church i had expereinced was irrelevatn to my real life, God was relevant in every area and knew about me and had dreams and plans for me and was working in every area of my life, personal, near… not far away, bearded on a cloud type thing…

2. God is faithful and His mercy covers all things. Life happens and even teh best christians amoungst us have times when we feel cold about God or we make a mistake and turn away from Him – know that God is faithful and merciful and we can always come to Him… the blood of Jesus is enough for my past sins and my future sins and i am secure in God because of it.

Go live for Jesus! Know Him and make Him known!