John – Here is a message from you that my mom found today from 2006.
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The Lord showed me tonight that the reason that some of His children refuse to testify openly of what He has done for them is that they know that testifying brings with it a responsibility of holy living that they are unwilling to bear. God is good to all His children, but not all of His children are willing to confess His goodness in an assembly of saints because they are unwilling to live so as to bring God glory. They may very much enjoy receiving glory from God, but they will give Him none in return, lest the saints begin to notice how they are living day-to-day.
Testifying puts a child of God in the spotlight, if but for a brief moment, but even a brief moment in the light is too much for a heart that is ashamed. To be observed is not what uncommitted saints want, and so, they shy away from confessing Christ in the assembly of the saints, even if God does a wonderful work in their lives or gives them an especially needed blessing. As I said, saints may gladly receive God’s special blessings, but then they bury their testimony in silence for fear that if they stand up and be a faithful witness of God’s grace, they will be expected to conduct themselves like one.
What has God done for you that you have hidden from the saints? Of course, not all blessings are to be spoken of in public; they are of too personal a nature to be broadcast in the assembly of saints or anywhere else. But the Lord let me know that there are multitudes of unconfessed blessings hidden within the breasts of guilt-ridden believers because they fear that if they confess what God has done for them, they will be expected to walk uprightly. They are right. Those who confess Christ automatically become beacons for others who are looking for him. The choice that confronts these saints, then, is either confess Christ and be seen, or hide their testimony “under a bushel basket” and hope nobody is watching.
Somebody is watching. So do not be so foolish as to hide your testimony in your breast in hope of not being watched.