“Blessed be the Lord, for he has wondrously shown his steadfast love to me when I was in a besieged city. I had said in my alarm, “I am cut off from your sight.” But you heard the voice of my pleas for mercy when I cried to you for help.” -Psalm 31:21–22
In this couplet, David testifies of a personal experience that affirms the abundance of God’s goodness that he previously praised. Though we don’t know what the exact situation was, David found himself in a panicked situation (“In my alarm”) when he found himself surrounded by the enemy which had laid siege on some city where David was at. With great importunit, he plead with the Lord for help and the Lord heard his cry.
Testimonials are powerful. Marketers know they are one of the most powerful tools for persuading customers to buy products. This is why we see commercials with people telling their story, why social testimonials in the form of quotes appear on nearly every website, and why product and service reviews are so important to commercial success.
Most importantly, there is power in the personal testimonies of God’s people, when they share their story, how God delivered them, saved them, freed them, answered their prayers, and worked in myriad different ways for their good and his own glory.
“And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.” -Revelation 12:11