two types of testimony

Come and hear, all you who fear God,

and I will tell what he has done for my soul.

I cried to him with my mouth,

and high praise was on my tongue.

Psalm 66:16-17

This psalm calls those who worship God to joyfully share their experiences of God at work. There are two categories of such testimony as recorded in verse seventeen. They are broad experiences that we keep in mind with God even today. And it is good to remember that God works both these ways.

The first category is described as the God Who is there in our pains and troubles. This is described with the phrase: “I cried to Him with my mouth”. We cry out in difficulty. We cry out to God in our helplessness. We cry out to Him overwhelmed and repenting of our sin. We cry out to Him in danger. We cry out to Him in fear. These are prayers of intensity, urgency, and emotion, often the simplest prayers not asking much, but expressing depth. They come from what is wrong in our world. They can be short, powerful cries to God, often in the vein of: “O God… No!”

There is a second kind of testimony about God. These are testimonies of pure praise, perhaps not as intimately linked to our own heartaches or pains, but insights into the very character of God that move our souls. The phrase “high praise was on my tongue” captures this sort of worshipful testifying. We can’t help but tell of His holiness, His glory, His power, His salvation, His grace, His mercy, and His love… ad infinitum! You start really thinking of the attributes of our great God, and your heart will inevitably sing! These prayers are moving, with the simple declaration: “God, You are ________!”

O Lord my God,

When I in awestruck wonder consider… what You have done to deliver me, and Who You are in Your majesty, my soul will declare Your greatness!

Amen