When Life Eclipses God

When Life Eclipses God

by Meredith Mills

@dazzledbytheson

We saw it, and it was dazzling.

cake-2201852_1280Like millions of other people, we traveled into the totality zone of the Great American Eclipse. We spent the afternoon camped out in the heat, hanging with some of our dearest friends, eating Moon Pies and Sun Chips and Cosmic Brownies.

A sense of anticipation hung in the air as the sun and moon aligned.

From behind our super-cool (ahem, functional) glasses, we watched the sun grow smaller bit by tiny bit until only a sliver remained visible.

And then it happened. The event everyone’s been talking about – the moment of total eclipse.

IMG_1804It nearly took my breath away.

Light radiated in all directions from the enormous dark spot in the sky. For nearly two minutes, heaven and earth seemed to stand still.

We saw what is normally imperceptible to the human eye – the sun’s corona. On normal occasions, the corona goes unseen because its light is so much dimmer than that of the sun’s surface.

But yesterday during the eclipse, we saw the radiant crown of the sun.

Life is a lot like that. Sometimes it takes an eclipse – a deep, dark shadow, to see the dazzling glory of the heavenly Son and to know Him in previously unexperienced ways.

It’s easy to enjoy God when life is bright and happy. Brilliant beyond words and more dazzling than our sun, the light of Jesus fills every corner of our earth. Unsurpassed in beauty, unrivaled in strength – this is our God. He rejoices the hearts of His children and fills our lives with good things.

But sometimes sorrow eclipses our God. Life can get so dark we seem to lose sight of Him. We may even forget what He looks like or wonder if He’s been a figment of our imaginations.

But there in the darkness, in the quiet place of our pain, God waits to reveal His heart to us. He invites us to experience His tenderness and find depths of comfort of which we’ve only ever heard tale.

Like the sun’s corona during an eclipse, God can be seen in breathtaking beauty during our darkest hour.

darkesthoureclipseHas life eclipsed your God? Have you lost sight of His goodness and love for you? Have faith, fellow Jesus lover. Just as the sun is unchanged though hidden by the moon, our God is unchanging and constant. He delights in you. His love is steadfast and His tender mercies are new every morning.

How have you experienced Jesus’ beauty during dark times? I’d love to hear – please comment below!

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Shields are Not Just for Superheroes

Shields are Not Just for Superheroes

by Meredith Mills

@DazzledByTheSon

Last week, my hubby was out of town for a business convention, which left me home alone with the kids. We had a good time together, trying to stay busy and not miss Daddy too much (hard to do!) Two days in a row, we drove out of town to meet friends at the zoo. flamingo baby

That was exhausting, but super fun.

One night, while the kids were tucked safely in their beds, a car drove by our house and cast creepy shadows on my bedroom window. In my mind, I knew the shadows were caused by the tree outside. But fear began to invade my heart. “What if’s” flooded my mind as this mama bear thought through how I’d defend my babies in case of danger.

It’s crazy how that happens. There was a logical explanation. Nothing really to be afraid of. But sometimes our emotions are stronger than our minds.

Thankfully, however, the Holy Spirit is stronger than both.

As I lay there in the dark, I prayed that God would shield and protect us. I envisioned a large superhero shield covering our home and angels standing around our property.

Then I went to sleep. We all awoke the next morning, safe and sound.

Psalm 28:7 says, “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and He helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I will praise Him.”

I love this description of God. He doesn’t just give us a shield. He is our Shield.

He stands between His child and the onslaught of the enemy. He absorbs and extinguishes the fiery dart blows.

This, however, leads to an obvious question. Does this mean bad things should never happen to His children?

We need only look around to see this isn’t the case. Christians suffer like the rest of the world. Probably even more, if you ask imprisoned believers and those tortured for their faith.

Is there a contradiction between faith and “real life”? Is God really our Shield when awful things happen?

Since God doesn’t change (James 1:17), we can trust that He never stops being our Shield, though His protection may look different at various times.

  • Sometimes He shields us from physical harm

Like those times when I’ve narrowly avoided a wreck.

Or when we’ve prayed for healing and He grants our request.

Or that time when I was a young adult living at home and my family happened upon a crime scene. Somehow our car ended up inside the police blockade, a would-be burglar laying shot on the ground a few feet away. That frustrating delay twenty minutes earlier may have kept our family out of the line of fire.

  • Always He shields us from the enemy’s fury

Satan hates Jesus. He also hates those who follow Him. Quite honestly, we’re no match for the devil. Yet the devil is no match for our God.

God stands between us and the enemy’s wrath, never abandoning us to fend for ourselves. Never leaving the devil to do anything he wants with us. (See Job 1-2, 42 for the interaction between God, Satan and a man named Job.)

  • Always He shields us from God’s righteous indignation

Our God is pure. He hates and punishes sin. But Jesus, the Sinless One, stands between His children and God’s anger. On the cross, He bore every ounce of the judgment we’d incurred through our sin. Through faith in Christ, “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).

In every circumstance, God is our Shield – protecting us from things seen and unseen. Sometimes He prevents tragedy. Sometimes He walks though it with us.

God my shieldWhat do you think? How do you reconcile the apparent contradiction between God as our Shield and the trials that we face? How have you seen God act as your Shield? Please comment below. Let’s get to know Him better together!

 

 

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Not Safe, but Good

Not Safe, but Good

by Meredith Mills

@DazzledByTheSon

book-1014197_1280

Oh, the adventures we’ve had!

Of all the activities we do as a family, reading together is one of my favorite. We’ve sailed to faraway lands, met giants and even escaped from a cyclops. We’ve been imprisoned with missionaries, dined with royalty and ridden a flying horse. Oh, the adventures we’ve had!

The best books, my favorite books, are those which sprinkle life lessons and spiritual truths throughout the stories. We’re currently reading one such book – The Chronicles of Narnia, by C. S. Lewis.

I love the chapter we read today, where the Pevensie children and their beaver friends discuss an upcoming meeting with Aslan, the Lion King of the magical land of Narnia. The children have never met Aslan, so the Beavers are preparing them for their introduction. Here’s how the conversation goes:

“Is he a man?” asked Lucy.

“Aslan a man?” said Mr. Beaver sternly. “Certainly not…Aslan is a lion – the Lion, the great Lion.”

“Ooh!” said Susan…“Is he – quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion”…

“Safe?” said Mr. Beaver… “Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good.”

I want to cheer when I read those words. In Aslan lies a breathtaking picture of the Lion of Judah, our King Jesus.

He is not safe, as some count safety. He takes sin seriously – Scripture records the devastating effects of His anger toward those who persist in evil. He is not to be approached without reverence. Even demons tremble before Him and will one day bow in forced surrender.

But, oh, how good He is.

cross-2488005_1280Over and over, Scripture tells of His anger restrained by His compassion, even stating that mercy triumphs over judgment. This mercy led Him to the cross, where justice was satisfied through the death of the Innocent One in place of the guilty.

He is not safe, but He is good.

Yet this comforting truth leaves me with the following question, one I’ve honestly been pondering for the past several years:

Where does the “fear of God” fit into the life of a believer?

On the one hand, we are told that “as we live in God, our love grows more perfect…Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced His perfect love” (I John 4:17-18 NLT).

On the other hand, we are urged to, “cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God” (2 Corinthians 7:1 ESV).

So are Christians to live in fear of an unsafe God?

Should His goodness lead us to carefree living?

The most poignant illustration I’ve heard on this subject was shared by our pastor in church recently. He told of a young boy taunted by his friends when he refused to join in their naughty behavior. Finally, an older boy said, “You’re just afraid that your dad will hurt you if you do it.”

His reply ought to echo in each of our hearts. “No, I’m not afraid he will hurt me. I’m afraid of hurting him.”

Love. Fear of grieving His heart. Jealousy over our relationship with Him. Such devotion should be the current that directs a life of faith.

What do you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts on how believers ought to fear God this side of Calvary. Please comment below – let’s get to know Him better together!

not safe but good

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Today’s post is based on the following Scripture verses: Psalm 78, James 2:19, Philippians 2:10, Psalm 30:5, Psalm 78:38, Psalm 103:8-13, James 2:13, 1 Peter 3:18.

What I Learned from the Kid who Fell Out of the Car

What I Learned from the Kid who Fell Out of the Car

“Look at this picture I drew, Mommy.” I turned my attention to my preschooler’s stick-figure drawing. She explained, “This kid is all alone because his door was open and he fell out of the car.”

(In case you’re wondering, that has never happened to her, or to anyone else we know.)

The kid who fell out of the car

When you fall out of the car

As I looked at her unusual artwork, I noticed another, larger stick-figure person above the child. I asked her about it, and she simply stated, “That’s God.”

God.

Well, of course.

Because really, we’re never alone. Even when we feel lonely or abandoned, or if we fall out of a car and get left behind, there’s God.

My presence will go with you and I will give you rest” (Exodus 33:14).

MyPresencewithyou

 

It’s easy to think that peace lies in the stability of our circumstances. If life is good, I often fear change and the unsettled emotions that accompany new chapters. If life is turbulent, I long for change as the solution to my problems.

But God Himself is our peace. His nearness is our good, the source of rest for our souls. Walking close to His heart enables us to experience His rest.

Several years ago, I found myself in a very dark season. God seemed indifferent to my prayers, and I was angry. So I told Him how I felt. I poured out my heart to Him (Psalm 62:8) expressing my disillusionment, anger and fear.

Then God came near. He spoke gently to my doubting heart. He didn’t condemn, rather, He reminded me of who He is – my Source of life and peace.

That encounter changed everything. Well, not my circumstances. They were just the same after my time with Jesus. But I had changed. My heart was at peace, even in the midst of my pain. (I wrote about this in When Life Falls Apart).

In the presence of Jesus, I found rest.

How about you, fellow Jesus lover? How’s your heart? Has life left you weary and wounded? Could you use some rest? I leave you with some of my favorite of Jesus’ words:

“Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:28-29).

wpid-comeandrest1

In what ways have you experienced Jesus as your rest? Please comment below – I’d love to hear!

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The Prize

The Prize

Have you ever won the lottery?

No? Well, don’t feel bad – I haven’t either. (Of course, I hear you have to play to have a chance at winning, so maybe that has something to do with it.)

How about being chosen in a drawing, like at the Home and Garden’s Expo? You just fill out a little slip of paper, giving them all your personal information, then sit back and wait for a phone call. Sounds easy enough. I’d enjoying having new windows for my entire house.

jelly-beans-2099733_1280Or even just the “guess how many jelly beans are in the jar” game? Nope. I’ve haven’t won that one either.

I’ve never been a lucky person.

My husband, on the other hand, now he was an altogether different story. He used to win drawings and prizes a lot. Until he married me.

Whatever your views on luck versus the sovereignty of God, there’s something inside each of us that loves to win. Be it small or big, we humans delight in attaining something of value.

Recently, I was wrestling through a life circumstance I wanted God to change. I thought this change would simplify life and add value to my days. I read and began memorizing the following verses – “The Lord is good to those whose hope is in Him, to the one who seeks Him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord” (Lamentations 3:25-26).

So, I waited. And I prayed. And I tried to change things on my own, which I guess isn’t really waiting on God.

Then I grew resentful when God didn’t bring the change I sought. I prayed and waited and tried some more.

And then I gave up.

God showed me that, while I love Him and desire to follow Him, I was fighting the direction He’d given. I was fighting Him.

You know, if I were God (and it’s a good thing I’m not), I’d be pretty irritated when my child wouldn’t follow my instructions. When, after lavishing goodness upon her, she kicked and squirmed and tried to run the other direction, I would find my patience growing thin.

But wonder of wonders, God didn’t treat me that way.

First Timothy 1:16 describes Jesus as “immensely patient.” And that’s exactly what I’ve found. With gentleness and grace, He led me to a place of surrender.

Oh, that word. Sometimes it makes me cringe. It feels so unnatural to surrender to someone else’s control. But this, like everything else in Christianity, is a matter of faith.

It’s a conscious choice to believe that the heart of God is good. To trust that He really does have my well being in mind. To act upon the belief that He sees the bigger picture and higher purpose.

I was waiting for God to grant me the “prize” for which I prayed. Instead, He gave me more of Himself. And I realized that Jesus is the prize, the treasure of infinite value.

People “surrender” many things for the chance at winning a prize – time, money, personal information…And any prize that we gain is temporal and sometimes worth very little.

But when Jesus asks us to surrender, He offers us in exchange the priceless gift of friendship with God.

Priceless Gift

Surrender

Paul said I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ” (Philippians 3:8).

And might I add a side note? When I surrendered, I told God, “Lord, I’ll do what You ask. But I can’t keep living like this – discontent, restless, angry. You have to change my heart. I’ve been trying to change myself, to pull myself out of this pit. But I can’t do it. So You’ll have to.”

And that’s exactly what He did.

After that step of faith, God began restoring joy to my soul. Where there was striving, there is peace. Where there was resentment, there is rest. I don’t know what the future holds, or how He will lead tomorrow.

But I know He’s good. And that’s good enough for me.

 

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