by Meredith Mills
@DazzledByTheSon
Don’t you love a good treasure hunt?
My tween daughter wanted a detective party for her birthday last year, so my husband planned the treasure hunt to end all birthday party treasure hunts. It was incredible.
The clues were crazy hard, but the girls embraced the challenge and finally deciphered them all by working together.
One final clue led to the birthday cake, which Hubby also made. (If I’d been in charge of the cake, we’d have picked one up from Costco.) The treasure, a bag of chocolate coins, was hidden inside the cake. (He’d baked a hollow spot into the cake and hidden the coins inside before frosting it.)
The girls had a blast searching for hidden treasure.
I’ve been on my own treasure hunt for the last few years.
During a particularly dark season of life (Confessions of a Good Girl), I realized many of my beliefs about God were flawed. Though I loved Him deeply, my life was driven by duty and ruled by fear. I desperately needed the rest to which Jesus invites us (Matthew 11:28-30).
Using a journal and my Bible (ok, actually I use my Bible app), I began recording everything God reveals about Himself in the passages I read during my daily Bible time. I’ve been doing this for about three years now, making notes about His actions and reactions, His promises and the names by which He describes Himself.
What I’ve learned has thrilled my soul and deepened my love for Him. Jesus is unlike any treasure earth can offer.
Here’s a verse I read recently:
“The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous runs into it and is safe” (Proverbs 18:10).
A person’s names reveal various attributes of that person.
For example, when I say that my name is Meredith, you learn very little about me. But if I tell you that I’m also called Wife and Mom, Daughter and Sister, writer, reader, singer and traveler, coffee-drinker and chocolate-lover…you know a bit more about me.
So it is with our God.
Many people call their objects of worship god. What sets our God apart? His names help us answer that question.
He is the Most High, the Creator, the Lover of our soul, the Good Shepherd, the Father of the fatherless and Husband to the widow…
His various names minister to us in different ways as we walk through life. By faith, we can cling to God’s specific names and find security.
This looks different from one day to the next and from one season to another. Here are some examples of what it looks like in my life:
- My husband is self-employed. Traditionally, summer is the slowest time of the year for us. One summer, work was scarce and money was tight. But bills were still due, so I ran to our Provider with a very specific request. The next day, He came through, miraculously meeting our needs.
- Several years ago, I experienced a miscarriage. As I walked through that painful time, I relied on God to be my Healer. He brought both physical and emotional restoration.
- Today, as I write, I’m asking my all-wise Creator for wisdom and creativity.
- In a few days, we’ll begin another year of homeschooling. I’ll seek the Teacher to instruct me on how best to teach my kids.
Whatever you’re facing today, whatever you’ll face tomorrow and next year, God’s name is a strong tower, a hiding place of refuge and protection from the storms that assail.
Which name of God is your strong tower today? Please comment below – I’d love to hear! Let’s get to know Him better together!
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