“Whatever was written beforehand is meant to instruct us in how to live. The Scriptures impart to us encouragement and inspiration so that we can live in hope and endure all things” (Rom. 15:4, TPT).
I love this Scripture. God spoke to my heart many years ago, “Teach women today from women of yesterday,” and confirmed this word with Romans 15:4.
I love the testimonies in the Word of God about the women (and men) who have walked before us. Jochebed gives me strength in my heart—a woman living in poverty and slavery who had not forgotten the testimonies of what God had done through Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. One woman, Jochebed, set the stage for her son, Moses, to lead her nation out of slavery!
What about the testimony of Eve? She did not value God’s Word. She listened to and allowed Satan to tempt her and lost her relationship with God. When she took a bite of the fruit, it exposed what was in her heart.
The good news is that Eve gave birth to another son, Seth. His name means “to establish.” Eve took courage in giving birth to Seth, for she said, “God has granted me another offspring” (Gen. 4:25, MEV). A great offspring this was, for the ancestry of Jesus Christ was to be traced back to the line of Seth!
Eve’s testimony gives us hope as one who can rise above her transgressions.
The testimonies of those who have walked before us are an invaluable inheritance because in each testimony of what God has done, there is a revelation of His nature and His love for the people who are created in His image.
A revelation of God through a testimony has the power to position us to experience God in what He is doing in the present. As I walked through the grocery store this week and saw the empty shelves, the Holy Spirit began to bring to my mind testimonies I had studied in the Bible.
I remember the widow who was cooking the last meal for herself and her son. Elijah just happened to come along, and he told her to make him a small cake first, then he spoke, “‘The barrel of meal will not run out, nor will the jar of oil empty, until the day that the Lord sends rain upon the earth'” (1 Kings 17:14b). She stepped out in faith and obedience to the word of the Lord, and her household ate for many days. I am so thankful for this testimony that assures me I am not dependent on man for my resources.
David encouraged himself in the Lord. Study the testimonies in the Word of God and receive a prophetic vision of the goodness and faithfulness of God.
Proverbs 29:18 (TPT) says, “When there is no clear prophetic vision, people quickly wander astray. But when you follow the revelation of the word, heaven’s bliss fills your soul.”
The spirit of prophecy changes the present, creating an atmosphere for the release of God’s supernatural power in your life, creating the miracle you need.
Testimonies carry the spirit of prophecy, leading us into the peace Jesus gave us (see John 14:27). In peace, we can hear His voice and follow Him.
Testimonies in the Word of God reveal to us God’s version of history and give us insights on reality from His perspective, which enable us to live supernaturally as a child of God, living this new creation life.
Long before there was a problem in this earth, God had the answer! Remember, He promised to never leave you or forsake you and that nothing could separate you from His love.
Are you fully persuaded that what He has promised He is also able to perform? {eoa}
Joyce Tilney is the founder of Women of God Ministries, teaching women today from women of yesterday. She is an author and teacher, equipping the saints for the furtherance of the gospel. Her books on Jochebed and Leah are available on Amazon along with Why Diets Don’t Work and The Real Woman Grows Roses from the Thorns of Life. Website: whydiets.com. Email: [email protected].
Janet Perez Eckles 
Shawn Akers 
Abby Trivett 
