No Test, No Testimony
2 Timothy 1:8 (NKJV): “Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God.”
Every Christian believer has a story to tell about who they were before they knew the Lord and the journey in coming to Christ. The Bible tells us not to be ashamed to share our stories. Some stories have rocky beginnings, from being trapped in drugs and alcohol to just being lost without hope. Some stories may involve being wrapped up in different religions that don’t believe who Jesus Christ is, to maybe something as simple as being raised in a Christian family and you finally decided to follow Jesus Christ for yourself. Whatever your story is, it is your testimony.
With every testimony comes a test. No person likes or enjoys going through tests.
- Moses pleaded with the Pharaoh to let the Jewish people go from slavery, then He led 2 million people to freedom in the land where God showed them.
- Joseph lived a life of slavery before he became the 2nd most powerful man in all of Egypt.
- After David was declared the next King of Israel, he was chased for years by King Saul, who was trying to kill him. King Saul finally died in battle, and David became King.
- John, Jesus’ disciple, was placed in boiling oil for being Jesus’ disciple. Since he didn’t die, the Romans banished him from the city of Rome and ordered him to live the rest of his life on the island of Patmos. On the island of Patmos, John saw Jesus again and was taken up to Heaven; then he wrote the book of Revelation.
- Paul was beaten three times with rods, stoned with rocks, was shipwrecked, bitten by a poisonous snake, and imprisoned. Yet, he pressed forward to write two-thirds of the New Testament.
- And there is the story of Job, who lost everything; his best friend told him to confess his sins that he never committed, and even his wife told him to confess his sins and die. But Job was innocent. Then God blessed him with double the riches he previously had.
It is vitally important to trust the Lord whenever a test comes your way. God allows tests to develop your character and give glory and credit to Him who brought you out of the problem. A test may feel like it will break you, but God can make anything work out for the good.
When you come out of a traumatic test, God wants you to use that experience as a testimony to share and inspire someone else to become a believer in Jesus Christ.
Be Blessed!
Ron
Ron Cobbs Ministries © Copyright November 10th, 2026, All Rights Reserved
