Exodus 13:14, “So it shall be, when your son asks you in time to come, saying, ‘What is this?’ that you shall say to him, by strength of hand, the Lord brought us out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.”

“Blessed Assurance,” sometimes referred to as “This Is My Story,” is one of the great old hymns. A more contemporary song is entitled “This Is My Testimony.” While different in many ways, the prevailing message is the same. We each have our own story, our own testimony. Once upon a time, we had testimony services in our churches. Sadly, they became more of an opportunity to tell what a bad week we were having rather than glorifying God. As a result, most churches no longer allow time for testimonies. While there is a time and place to ask our brothers and sisters to pray for us and whatever we may be facing at the moment, there should also be a time to express the greatness of God in our lives. We should never forget where God brought us from and what He continues to do in our lives. Those kinds of testimonies not only strengthen us, they also help those around us as we celebrate God’s faithfulness.

In the Old Testament, storytelling played a central role in nurturing the faith of God’s people. God even told them to set up a memorial that would provide an opportunity to share how He delivered them from the slavery of Egypt. The regular retelling of their testimony not only shaped them as a people hundreds of years ago, it continues to identify them today every time they gather around the Passover table.

What are the stories of God’s faithfulness in your family or your life that need to be retold to help reinforce your identity as a person of faith in Christ, as well as to pass them on to the next generation?