How does Exodus 18:3 encourage sharing personal testimonies of God's deliverance today? Setting the Scene Moses has reunited with Jethro and his family after Israel’s dramatic escape from Egypt. In the brief family introduction, Scripture pauses to mention the names of Moses’ sons. That small detail is packed with meaning for anyone who wonders whether personal stories of God’s faithfulness still matter. Key Verse: Exodus 18:3 “and her two sons. One son was named Gershom, for Moses had said, ‘I have become a foreigner in a foreign land,’ ”. Why a Name Matters • Gershom means “sojourner there.” • The name is Moses’ one-word testimony: “I lived as an outsider, yet God preserved me.” • It captures a whole season of life—flight from Egypt, forty wilderness years, and God’s steady hand through it all. • Moses didn’t bury that story; he built it into his son’s identity so future generations would ask, “Why that name?” and hear the story of deliverance. Lessons for Our Testimonies Today • Ordinary details—names, dates, family traditions—can become living memorials to God’s rescue. • Sharing how God met us in weakness invites others to recognize His power in theirs (2 Corinthians 12:9). • Personal history, when anchored in God’s action, becomes corporate encouragement; Moses’ private exile encouraged an entire nation on its own wilderness journey. • Remembered deliverance fuels worship: “Let the redeemed of the LORD say so” (Psalm 107:2). • Testimonies answer the unspoken question, “Does God still do today what He did then?” Gershom says, “Yes—look at me.” Practical Ways to Share Your Story • Mark life-events with God-focused explanations—anniversaries, nicknames, journal titles. • Weave deliverance moments into family conversations and holiday gatherings. • Write or record brief “Gershom statements”: one-sentence snapshots of how God intervened. • Use social media to post concise, Scripture-anchored stories rather than vague “feel-good” blurbs. • Offer your testimony in small-group settings; Moses told Jethro first, then the story spread (Exodus 18:8-9). Scriptures That Echo the Call • Psalm 66:16 – “Come and listen, all you who fear God, and I will declare what He has done for my soul.” • Mark 5:19 – “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you.” • 1 Peter 2:9 – “...that you may proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” • Revelation 12:11 – “They conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.” Closing Thoughts Exodus 18:3 reminds us that God-stories belong in the warp and woof of everyday life. When we name, record, and retell His deliverances, we join Moses in saying, “I was a stranger there, but God kept me,” and we invite a watching world to meet the Deliverer who never changes. |
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