Introduction
There are moments in our lives when we can clearly see the hand of God at work—not only through His Word but also through our own personal experiences with Him. Looking back on my journey with Jesus, I am overwhelmed with gratitude. Every time I remember everything He has done for me, tears fill my eyes because I know, without a doubt, that God is truly alive. He is faithful, and He continues to work in the lives of those who belong to Him.
Before I had a genuine relationship with Jesus Christ, I had never experienced His presence the way I do today. Everything began to change when the Holy Spirit started working in my life. He rescued me from spiritual darkness, changed my heart, corrected my understanding, and gradually opened my spiritual eyes to see His Kingdom and His glory.
Looking back now, I realize that none of this happened because of my own goodness or because I deserved His love. It was entirely by God’s grace. Through His loving discipline, He revealed the true condition of my heart, exposed the areas that needed to change, and patiently led me into a deeper relationship with Him.
This testimony is not about my own strength but about God’s faithfulness. It is the story of how He rescued me from darkness, changed my heart, opened my spiritual eyes, and revealed His glory. Above all, this is a testimony of His amazing grace and unfailing love, which continue to pursue, restore, and transform those who wholeheartedly surrender their lives to Him.
Part 1: From Spiritual Darkness to the Light of Christ
God touched my heart so deeply. He has always been there—not only through His Word, but I have also personally seen and experienced His work in my life. That is why I can confidently say that God is truly alive.
Before I had a relationship with Him, I had never experienced anything like this. Everything began when the Holy Spirit started working in my life. Whenever I look back on my journey, tears of joy fill my eyes because it was through that journey that I truly came to understand that everything happened by God’s grace—not because of any good deeds I had done.
I came to realize that the goodness I thought I had was nothing before God. Even what I considered good according to my own understanding and perspective was unclean in His sight. Through my relationship with Him, He revealed the true condition of my heart and helped me realize how unclean I truly was and how desperately I needed Him.
Once God is in our lives, He begins to search our hearts. He reveals what He sees needs to be corrected and changed.
Because of this, I have come to understand that when God is in our lives, He opens our eyes to see His Kingdom and His glory.
I have also realized that what we see in the natural world reflects what exists in the spiritual realm. In many ways, the natural world helps us understand what is taking place in the spiritual realm.
I believe that God created day and night to help us understand spiritual realities through what we see with our natural eyes because our human understanding is limited. At night, we see darkness, while during the day, we see light. In the same way, darkness and light symbolize the contrast between God’s Kingdom and the kingdom of darkness.
Before we have a relationship with God, or before Jesus enters our lives, we cannot understand God’s Kingdom or His glory. We are unaware of God’s work in our lives, and we cannot understand spiritual truths. Simply put, we are spiritually dead.
Just as we cannot see clearly in the darkness of night, the same is true for people who do not have God in their lives. They do not know where they are heading. They are often unaware of whether the actions they take and the motives of their hearts are truly right before God.
Although people know the difference between right and wrong, their understanding is still limited. As a result, they simply follow the patterns, values, and culture of this world. Their lives remain in spiritual darkness because Satan has blinded their minds, preventing them from understanding the truth.
2 Corinthians 4:4 (NLT)
Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.
During the daytime, we are able to see because of the light. We can clearly see everything around us, even the smallest details.
The same is true when Jesus comes into our lives.
We are able to see God’s Kingdom and His glory because He is the Light of our lives.
John 8:12 (NLT)
Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”
That is exactly what happened in my own life.
When Jesus came into my life, He opened my eyes to see how sinful I truly was. He changed the motives of my heart, renewed my mind, transformed my perspective, and changed my understanding. That inward transformation was reflected in my actions and in the way I lived my life.
He corrected my mistakes and taught me to align my life with His will.
Because of Jesus, I was able to see God’s Kingdom and His glory because He became the Light that illuminated my life. Through Him, my spiritual eyes were opened.
Part 2: God’s Faithfulness Through Every Season and the Test That Revealed My Heart
From my own experience, I have clearly seen that God has never abandoned me. He has always been there—in my pain, my sorrow, my fears, my joy, and even during the time when I struggled with sin and thought that He might leave me.
But He never did.
He never abandoned me during my struggles or during the time when I became trapped.
It was during that season that I truly came to understand how faithful God is to His promise that no one can snatch me from His hands because I belong to Him, and He is mine.
What I mean is that even though the enemy tried to steal me away by tempting me to do evil so that I would drift away from the Lord, God made a way to bring me back to Himself.
John 10:28–29 (NLT)
28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me,29 for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand.
Isaiah 43:1 (NLT)
But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says, “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine.
Song of Solomon 2:16 (NLT)
My lover is mine, and I am his. He browses among the lilies.
I remember posting something on Facebook two or three years ago that truly came from the depths of my heart. I wrote,
“LORD, I LOVE YOU WITH ALL MY HEART, MIND, SOUL, AND STRENGTH.”
God saw every word because He knows everything, even the deepest places of our hearts.
Looking back now, I realize that God was testing my heart, as though He were saying,
“I will test Maricel so that the true condition of her heart may be revealed.”
Even before that test came, one of my favorite Bible passages had already become my prayer.
I continually asked God to search my heart, examine my thoughts, and test me so that I could grow in my understanding of His will. I wanted Him to show me anything in my life that offended Him so that He could correct me and lead me in the right way.
Psalm 139:23–24 (NLT)
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.
Then, unexpectedly, a situation came into my life. At the time, I had no idea that it was actually God’s test.
Through that situation, God tested me to see whom I would choose to follow and obey—Him or the person who had come into my life and to whom I had grown deeply attached.
Later, I realized how shallow my love for God really was.
When God opened my spiritual eyes, I broke down in tears because I came to understand that the love I thought I had for Him was nothing before Him. Even the love I thought I was offering Him was still unclean in His sight.
It was then that God changed my understanding of love.
He corrected me and showed me that I could never give Him the kind of love He desires through my own understanding alone because He Himself is the source of love.
He taught me that instead of trying to offer Him my own love, I first needed to surrender my heart to Him so that He could fill it with His love.
Only then could I truly love Him.
In other words, I needed to give Him my heart first. Then He would transform it. And after He had changed my heart, I would be able to obey Him.
That is the kind of love that pleases Him.
John 14:15 (NLT)
“If you love me, obey my commandments.
God has His own way of teaching us how to love Him in a way that pleases Him.
Sometimes we may think we are doing something good for God, but what seems good in our own eyes may still be unclean in His sight.
That is why having a relationship with God is so important.
It is through that relationship that He guides us, disciplines us, corrects our mistakes, and teaches us what is right according to His will.
As we continue to obey Him, He leads us along the path that leads to everlasting life.
Part 3: When God Rescued Me From the Trap of Sin
At the time God was testing me, I was not fully aware that it was actually His test.
I knew that the situation I was struggling with was against God’s will. I knew I was struggling with sin. But because I chose to go along with it and accepted it, I became trapped and found it difficult to break free.
In the spiritual realm, it was as though I had been imprisoned by the enemy in a place with no door and no window—there was no way for me to escape.
I was trapped.
Knowing that I could not save myself, I cried out to God for help because I knew that He alone could rescue me.
During that time, God reminded me of Daniel being thrown into the lions’ den. In a similar way, the enemy was looking for an opportunity to accuse me and trap me.
Yet I continued to trust that my Lord would rescue me.
2 Timothy 4:18 (NLT)
Yes, and the Lord will deliver me from every evil attack and will bring me safely into his heavenly Kingdom. All glory to God forever and ever! Amen.
Through that situation, God tested my heart and taught me how to humble myself before Him.
Although what I did was against His will because I chose to accept and commit that sin, God still allowed that situation in my life so that I could come to understand His glory more deeply.
He turned what the enemy intended for evil into something good.
That is why I deeply relate to the song “See a Victory” by Elevation Worship, especially these words:
“You take what the enemy meant for evil,
And You turn it for good.
You turn it for good.”
Genesis 50:20 (NLT)
You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.
The moment I became fully aware that I was trapped in sin, God began to move.
It was during that time that I clearly witnessed His work in my life. I saw that He had never abandoned me.
When God rescued me, He also removed that sin from my life.
Because of that sin, I had fallen into depression, anxiety, brokenness, deep emotional pain, and heartbreak.
When God rescued me, He opened my spiritual eyes. He showed me everything the enemy had done from the very beginning of that situation.
I broke down in tears.
God revealed everything to me. He showed me how the enemy had been working throughout that entire situation.
But God also showed me that I had been innocent in many ways because I had not been aware of the enemy’s tactics.
He made me understand that I was not guilty in the way I had condemned myself to be.
When we belong to God, there is no shame, no guilt, and no condemnation.
As I wept before Him, I felt as though God Himself was embracing me and comforting me.
Then, suddenly, He healed me.
My depression disappeared.
My anxiety disappeared.
My pain disappeared.
My broken heart was healed.
The heaviness I had been carrying suddenly lifted.
Then I was overwhelmed by the presence of God.
His love was beyond anything I had ever experienced, and it was in that moment that I truly understood His gentleness. I experienced how gentle He is, even when He disciplines His children.
Then I experienced something I cannot fully explain.
It felt as though something was being removed from my eyes.
The best way I can describe it is that it looked like a dark, blurred object—almost like a ‘Gaussian blur.’ It was about the size and shape of a pregnancy test, completely black and blurred, as though it had been covering my spiritual vision.
While I was overwhelmed by God’s presence, I felt that covering being removed from my eyes.
This experience happened while I was in the Spirit. I both saw it and felt it.
Immediately afterward, I began to see God’s glory once again.
God opened my spiritual eyes, and I suddenly understood everything.
I understood how the enemy had been working from the very beginning of God’s test.
At the same time, I saw how God had been faithfully working to rescue me every step of the way.
Everything became clear.
As I understood what God had revealed to me, I wept uncontrollably because of His goodness.
Hallelujah!
Part 4: God’s Presence Changed Everything
God’s presence upon me was incredibly powerful.
His love was overwhelming beyond words. That strong sense of His presence remained with me for several days before it gradually subsided.
One moment I clearly remember was when I saw the servant in our house. My heart was suddenly filled with such deep love and compassion for her that I immediately embraced her.
It was a love filled with compassion.
She had no idea what God was doing in my life or how powerfully His presence had filled my heart.
Later, God began to explain everything to me. He revealed the enemy’s strategies and showed me how the enemy had tried to pull me away from the Lord.
At the same time, God showed me how faithful He has always been to His Word.
When I understood everything He revealed to me, my heart was deeply moved, and I was brought to tears.
It was then that I truly came to understand God’s faithfulness, His love, His discipline, and His gentleness.
I also came to know Him in a deeper way.
He is my Healer.
He is my Savior.
He is my Rescuer.
He is my Deliverer.
He is my best Friend.
In short, He is my everything.
Hallelujah!
Psalm 18:2 (NLT)
The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.
Final Reflection
One of the beautiful things about having a relationship with God is that we are able to understand what is happening in our lives from His perspective.
He restores us.
He renews us.
He teaches us.
He heals broken hearts, restores broken relationships, and rebuilds our identity.
He changes our hearts, renews our perspective, transforms our understanding, and even works through our circumstances for His glory.
He teaches us what is right. Through our mistakes, He lovingly corrects us and teaches us to walk according to His will. In doing so, He reveals that He truly is the Almighty God.
No matter how difficult your situation may be…
No matter how heavy the burden you are carrying…
No matter how deep your pain may be…
No matter how trapped you may feel…
Whatever your situation may be, God is able to heal it, restore it, and make it new because He is greater than every circumstance we will ever face.
No matter how great your sin may be, if you are willing to fully surrender your life to God, His arms are always open to receive you.
God is looking at your heart.
That is what He desires.
If you come to Him, call upon Him, and sincerely repent, He is always ready to receive you, forgive you, save you, restore you, and make you new.
He removes the veil from your eyes, cleanses you from your sins, and leads you in His ways.
As He does this, your spiritual eyes are opened.
You begin to see God’s Kingdom and His glory because He is the One who brings light into your life.
Without a relationship with God, none of this can truly happen. Instead, a life apart from Him remains in spiritual darkness, where there is no lasting peace.
John 1:1 (NLT)
In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 1:4–5 (NLT)
4 The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone.
5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.
John 1:14 (NLT)
So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.
Looking back on my journey, I can confidently say that God has never once abandoned me.
He has always been faithful.
He has always been present.
He has always kept His Word.
Through every season of my life, He pursued me, corrected me, restored me, transformed me, and continually reminded me that everything He does is by His grace.
This testimony is living proof that Jesus Christ is faithful to His Word.
He is my Rock.
He is my Fortress.
He is my Savior.
He is my Deliverer.
He is my Healer.
He is my Shepherd.
He is my faithful Friend.
He is my everything.
Everything I have shared is a testimony of God’s amazing grace, unfailing love, faithfulness, and glory.
To Him alone be all the glory.
Hallelujah!
Related Articles
• How Jesus Drew Me to Himself: From Spiritual Blindness to a Relationship With God
• How the Holy Spirit Began to Work in Me
• When God Began Opening My Spiritual Eyes
• From Spiritual Blindness to Spiritual Understanding
• How the Holy Spirit Transformed My Life: From My Old Self to a New Life in Christ
• What It Truly Means to Be Born Again: From Spiritual Death to New Life in Christ
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