Be My Witness

“Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, ‘Which,’ He said, ‘you heard of from Me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.’

So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, ‘Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?’ He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.’” Acts 1:4-8

Mary Slessor was an unlikely evangelist. Born to a poor family in Scotland in 1848, she grew up in a slum controlled by vicious gangs. She survived beatings by her alcoholic father and began work at a mill when she was thirteen to help support the family

How did she cope in these dark times? Mary accepted Jesus as her Savior as a young girl and found comfort in His love. God had filled her with compassion for helpless, suffering people; and she was willing to go wherever He called her.

When African missionary Dr. David Livingstone asked for others to carry on his work there, Mary was ready. Until her death, she worked for thirty-nine years among people whose lives were dominated by witchcraft, alcohol abuse, and cruelty to children.

Not one heartache in her life had been wasted; God turned her struggles as a youth into strength and specific wisdom to offer hurting people. Many came to know Jesus as Savior because Mary was obedient to God.

Through every experience and circumstance, God builds your character and shapes you for the good works He has given you to do (Eph. 2:10). Be willing to obey in all things; He will equip you with everything you need.

“...Lord...grant that Your bond-servants may speak Your word with all confidence.” Acts 4:29