by MeredithNMills | Aug 12, 2016 | Hope in the Midst of Heartache, Uncategorized, Walking by Faith
It came out of nowhere, that unidentified flying creature.
Something flew out of the darkness
Out of the dark, into my personal space, it hit me on the shoulder and bounced off before flying back into the night. I ducked and ran for the car, then sat stunned in the passenger seat. I tried to slow my breathing and calm my racing heart.
What had just happened?
I replayed the 30-second escapade in my mind’s eye. Hubby and I were on our way to catch a late-night movie. He had walked out of the house first, then ducked suddenly when something brushed his face as it flew by. He was slightly shaken – it’s unnerving to collide with something in the dark. But it was gone. We were fine.
Then, as I walked toward the car, I encountered the…thing.
It was creepy. Startling. Unsettling.
The unidentified flying creature flew at me from the darkness.
We decided it must have been a bat. (I shuttered as I typed that!)
That crazy, short-lived event reminds me of life in general. Sometimes we’re blindsided by unexplainable events, sidelined by a change of circumstances, or frightened by things outside of our control.
It’s easy to become fearful, discouraged or bitter when life doesn’t turn out how we hoped.
That’s why I’m grateful that our God is a Rock – both to anchor my feet when everything else is shifting unpredictably, and to be a hiding place for my soul when life’s storms threaten to engulf me. I love the following verse:
“And He will be the stability of your times, a wealth of salvation, wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is (our) treasure” (Is 33:6).
Life is unstable. But God never changes.
The One we call Father is the same God who was faithful to Abraham. The same God who did wonders through Moses. The same God who wove goodness into the tragic events of Joseph’s life.
He was David’s Protector, Solomon’s Wisdom, Elijah’s Provider, Daniel’s Strength.
He is still the Way, the Truth, the Life, Living Water, Hope for the hurting, Healer to the broken.
His grace was enough for Paul, and it’s just as sufficient today.
Our unchanging Rock
I’m so grateful for a God who remains the same through all the changes of my life.
How about you? How does God’s eternal nature give you hope and courage? I’d love to hear! Please join the conversation!
by MeredithNMills | May 2, 2016 | Uncategorized, Walking by Faith
Knowing God – is it possible?
We Christians talk about it all the time. It’s the crux of our faith, of surpassingly great value, worth the loss of all earthly gain. It was the cry of Paul’s heart (Phil 3:10). It’s to be the source of our boasting (Jer 9:23).
And yet…it’s an enormous pursuit. How can we know Someone who extends endlessly beyond the limits of human knowledge? How can we understand the Creator of the human mind?
God never fits in my neat little boxes.
How can we define the God who never fits in our neat little “boxes”?
While it’s impossible to fully comprehend Him, He has made it possible to know Him.
The revelation of God is all around us. The heavens declare His glory and righteousness (Ps 97:6). His invisible attributes are made manifest in creation (Rom 1:20). But if His self-revelation had stopped there, we might draw the inaccurate conclusion that this all-powerful Creator is aloof, disinterested in the work of His hands.
And so, God drew near.
From the beginning, He has sought to be close to His creation. He walked with Adam and Eve in the Garden (Gen 3:8). He was friends with Abraham (Jas 2:23). He talked face to face with Moses (Deut 34:10). He dwelt among Israel through His presence in the tabernacle and temple.
And then, with unprecedented clarity, He stepped onto the earthly scene as One of us. He lived and breathed and talked and sang and cried and laughed. He taught and listened, grieved and celebrated, healed and forgave. He became human so that humanity might truly know Him.
In Jesus, we see the invisible God. He is Emmanuel – God with us.
He came to break down the wall that prevents our nearness with God. What Adam and Eve enjoyed before sin, He came to restore. Through His sacrifice on the cross, He paid the penalty for our sin. Through His resurrection, He made new life possible. Through faith in Him, we can once again be close to God..
It is this Jesus, our Emmanuel, who calls us friends (Jn 15:14-15). He invites us into ever deepening friendship with Him (Ps 25:14). He has given us complete and bold access to His presence (Heb 4:16).
God’s nearness is my good.
Nearness with God – it’s what we were made for. Are you experiencing it?
How have you seen “the nearness of God” as good in your life? In what ways have you experienced Him drawing you near?
Related Posts:
Readjusting the Lens
Come Close
by MeredithNMills | Apr 24, 2016 | Identity in Christ, Uncategorized, Walking by Faith
Sometimes our vision changes.
Walking with Jesus
When I set out on this blogging journey, my goal was to chronicle my walk with Christ. I was at the tail end of a pretty dark season. Life had recently come crashing down around me, and everything I thought I believed came into question. (To read more, please check out My Journey.)
“Two things I’m certain about,” I confided in a friend. “The Bible is the Word of God, and I’m saved by the blood of Jesus. Beyond that, I just don’t know right now.” Specific Christian doctrine, practical Christian living…it all needed to be reexamined.
Thankfully, those two certain beliefs are the bedrock of our faith and our God is a Master Rebuilder.
For a time, I thought I needed to rebuild my faith through prayer and Bible study, but then I came across the following verse in Colossians 2:7: “Having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith…” All those verbs – they’re in the passive tense, meaning I’m not the one doing them. Rather, I’m receiving the actions of Another.
Maybe that seems trivial, like mere semantics, but it took a weight off my shoulders. I realized that, just as God rooted me in Him at salvation, so He Himself is building and establishing my faith. My role is to abide in Him and welcome His work in me. (See John 15.)
During the course of this rebuilding project, I’ve learned that “identity” is a core issue in the Christian faith – most importantly, an accurate knowledge of God is essential. Of secondary, but also vital, importance is knowing my own identity as a child of God. These two things are like lenses through which I view and interact with the world around me.
Looking at life through the lens of identity
God showed me that my understanding was flawed in both areas. So I’ve been taking notes as I read through Scripture of everything I see related to those two issues. My big, thick journal is almost full because, guess what? God has LOTS to say about identity. (And I’m not even half-way through the Bible yet!)
He longs to be known! And He wants us to know who we really are, too.
So I think it’s time to shift the focus here, or rather to “zoom in” on this aspect of our faith. I’d like to share with you what I’m learning, and I’d really love to learn from your journey, as well. Together, in the Body of Christ, we have the greatest treasure the world has ever known – friendship with God. Because He drew near, we can know Him and be secure in Him.
So stay tuned and prepare to be…encouraged!
Related Posts:
When Life Falls Apart
Identity Crisis
by MeredithNMills | Mar 4, 2016 | Uncategorized
Could you use some encouragement today?
I know I could. Sometimes my heart grows anxious. It’s easy to give way to fear, to let the “what if’s” take over. To look at our nation, our world, and feel as if things are spiraling out of control.
Yet, in the midst of turbulent times and an uncertain future, the words of the old hymn ring true in my heart – “When all around my soul gives way, He then is all my hope and stay. On Christ the Solid Rock I stand…” *
This Rock that is Jesus – He is secure and unchanging, a foundation that will never crumble. His love is everlasting. His truth still brings freedom. His justice is as sure as the rising sun. His faithfulness will never, ever cease. Come what may, God is good. God is with us. And God will complete His work in us.
This week I’ve been studying in Colossians. My heart thrills at the work of God on our behalf. Here are some highlights from chapter two:
- God has revealed to us the mystery of Christ (v 2). Walking with God has always been by faith – from the opening chapters of Genesis (the promise of One who would crush the serpent), to the final words of Revelation (“come quickly, Lord Jesus!”). Yet the Object of our faith was a mystery until God made Him known. Oh, the riches of assurance and knowledge of Him!
- God has firmly rooted us in Christ (v 7). It’s done, once and for all – by God, for us. Because we are rooted in Him, we can face the future with confidence. Nothing can uproot us from Christ!
- God is building us up and establishing us in our faith (v 7). God is continuously, repeatedly working to strengthen us.
- God has made us complete (v 10). As the fullness of God dwells in the Person of Christ, so we are completely filled with Christ. We lack nothing when we have Jesus.
- God has circumcised our hearts (v 11). In Old Testament times, God commanded Israel to circumcise their hearts (Jer 4:4), but they were incapable of doing it themselves. However, He promised that one day, He Himself would complete this work. (“Then the Lord your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love Him…” Deut 30:6.) And now He has done it! (“Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ” (Col 2:11b). What we are powerless to do on our own, God has done for us. The power of our old life is broken!
- God has cancelled our certificate of condemnation, nailing it to the cross (v 14). All those sins that separated us from God, which served as evidence of our guilt – they are all gone! Not a single sin stands to condemn us. We are fully forgiven in Christ.
- God brings about our spiritual growth (v 19). Fruit-bearing is God’s work (thus the term “fruit of the Spirit”). For most of my life, I believed I had to try hard to produce fruit as a Christian. In reality, I’m just the branch displaying the fruit made by the Vine as I abide in Him (Jn 15:1-11)!
My dear fellow Jesus-lover – be encouraged! Rest in hope. Speak truth to your soul.
Nothing can sever us from the God who works on our behalf – no politician, no tragedy, no loss, no disappointment. If He has done all this for us (and ever so much more), will He not continue to show Himself strong on our behalf? We He not daily support, strengthen, sustain, and supply?
May we overflow with gratitude, walk closely with Him, and keep our eyes fixed on Jesus.
“For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His…” 2 Chron 16:9a.
“I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good to them…I will rejoice in doing them good…” Jer 32:40-41.
What kind of soul-talk brings peace to your heart? Is there a particular attribute of God that especially gives you hope?
Related Posts:
Fly Like an Eagle
When Fear Invades
*The Solid Rock, by Edward Mote
by MeredithNMills | Jan 15, 2016 | confidence, fear, freedom, grace, knowing God, ministry, rest, serving, Uncategorized, Walking by Faith
“Don’t You care that she’s not helping me?”
Martha’s words reflected the turmoil in her soul. With so much to do, how could Mary just sit there? Did she forget about their large dinner party tonight? The food wouldn’t cook itself!
Martha wanted so much for everything to be perfect – the meal, the accommodations, the service. It wasn’t everyday that Jesus came to visit! She had to make sure He was comfortable during His stay. He needed to feel honored, to know how much she loved Him. But…how could she do it all alone?
“Don’t You care that she’s left me to do all the work? Tell her to get up and get busy!”*
Do you ever feel like Martha? I know I do. All the time. Hubby jokes about my impossible “to do” lists. But it’s true. I seem incapable of creating a “to do” list that’s actually doable.
Oh, I totally get Martha. I know what it’s like to feel resentful when my priorities are not a priority to others.
So when I came across this passage in my Bible reading last week, I spent a while reflecting on it. Where did Martha go wrong? What is life’s one true necessity that Mary chose? And seriously, did Jesus not care about dinner? I mean, just practically speaking, how was dinner going to get on the table if both Mary and Martha sat at His feet?
What strikes me most in this account is the tenderness that exudes from Jesus’ gentle rebuke.
“Martha, Martha…My dearly loved Martha! I do see your hard work! I know you want to honor me and prove your devotion. But, Martha, that’s not what I want from you! You’re so distracted, so anxious, so uptight. You’re trying so hard all the time. Trying to take care of everyone. Trying to stay on top of things. Trying to do the right thing.
“I want you to quit trying and just come rest.
“Just be near Me. Listen to My heart. That’s what Mary has chosen. I won’t send her away to get busy.”*
The key difference, it seems, between the two sisters is this – Martha was driven to serve, while Mary drew near in love. Her adoration compelled her to just be close. To hang on His every word. To listen to His heart. To know Him deeply.
And Jesus said nothing in the world matters more.
His call to know Him and be near Him is woven through all the pages of Scripture.
“Cease striving and know that I am God…” (Ps 46:10a).
“Everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord…” (Phil 3:8).
“Oh, that we might now the Lord! Let us press on to know Him…” (Hos 6:3a).
“But as for me, the nearness of God is my good…” (Ps 73:28a).
“Let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace…” (Heb 4:16a).
“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you…” (Jas 4:8).
Boil it all down, and we find this at the heart of Christianity – being near God. It’s expressed in many different ways…Abiding in Him. Drawing near to Him. Learning from Him. Loving Him. Fixing our eyes on Him. But it all comes back to intimate nearness with God. Everything else in life flows out of that.
This nearness is certainly cultivated in quiet alone times with Him. But thankfully, for this mama with littles (who finds “quiet time” a bit elusive), I’m learning it can also be cultivated in the noise and activity of life. In my busy “Martha moments,” when dinner truly must get on the table, I can still have the heart of Mary as I rest in my relationship with Him. Serving my family (and anything else I do) can be an overflow of my walk with Him. As I receive and rest in His love, I can freely give it to those around me.
So whatever our season, however busy our days, let us press on to know Him!
How do you cultivate the nearness of God in your daily life?
*This is my paraphrase. 🙂 You can read the whole story in Luke 10:38-42.
