by MeredithNMills | Dec 25, 2016 | Identity in Christ, Uncategorized, Walking by Faith
“Look! The virgin will conceive and bear a Son, and they will call Him Emmanuel, which means ‘God with us’” (Matt 1:23) NET.
God.with.us.
Those three words astound me.
For thousands of years, God had been worshiped from afar. His holiness stood in stark contrast to mankind’s sin. A thick veil separated His earthly presence in the temple from those who approached Him.
Until Emmanuel.
His arrival changed everything.
The Eternal One stepped into time and wrapped Himself with humanity. The Creator became one of us. The King who controls armies, who sets up and tears down nations, that King made His first appearance in an unceremonious stable.
And such would be His life – a homeless Miracle Worker, a traveling Teacher, a King rejected by His own people.
He came not impress us, but to save us. Not to condemn us, but to restore friendship with God.*
He came to do what we could not do – to keep the Law of God, and die as if He hadn’t. To taste death for us, then render it powerless so we could be set free.
He came to tear the veil that separated a holy God from His people, and to make us holy, too.
This is Emmanuel – a God so in love with His people that He would walk among us, know our pains, experience our emotions, and die in our stead.
And He beckons us, even today as we celebrate His birth, to draw near to Him as well.
As we give and receive gifts this Christmas day, may we remember the greatest Gift of all time. And may we offer ourselves back as a gift to Him.
Merry Christmas!
This changes everything
* If you’re curious about how to begin a relationship with this Jesus, please check out In Case You’re Wondering.
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What’s Inside
by MeredithNMills | Sep 16, 2016 | Hope in the Midst of Heartache, knowing God, Uncategorized, Waiting, Walking by Faith
By Meredith Mills @DazzledByTheSon
Have you ever experienced a natural disaster?
Storm Fury
I’ve been through several – two earthquakes while living in California, a hurricane during my teen years in Hawaii, even a fire in the valley directly behind our home. Oh, and a predicted tsunami (though it was quite anti-climactic when it rolled in at less than three centimeters!)
A few weeks ago, we visited some dear friends near the Georgia coast and found ourselves in the path of what was Hurricane Hermine. It had been downgraded to a tropical storm by the time it reached our friends’ house. Still, the winds uprooted trees and knocked out the power. A nearby town flooded. It was intense.
But then the eye of the storm passed over. An earie calm settled in. No wind. No rain. Just stillness.
Storm Fury
A short time later, the backside of the storm hit, bringing wind and rain in abundance once again. I was thankful for our friends’ strong home protecting us from the hurricane’s fury.
As I watched it rage from inside the house, I thought of Bethel Music’s rendition of “It is Well.” I was reminded that hurricane-force winds, powerful storm surges, and torrential rains…they know their Master’s name. His voice spoke the wind and water into existence. And His word has calmed them in an instant.
I’m grateful that their Master is also mine. His power is stronger than any force in the universe.
He is able to calm every storm I face. He can make it stop with just one word. He is Master of the Storm.
But sometimes He doesn’t stop the storms. Sometimes He permits “sorrows like sea billows” to roll. In those seasons, He is my unshakeable shelter in the middle of the storm. His nearness is my good. His heart is trustworthy and ever open to mine.
What about you, fellow Jesus lover? Is there a storm raging in your life? Are you experiencing Him as Master of the storm or as Shelter in the midst of the storm? How has He brought comfort to your soul? I’d love to hear – please join in the conversation!
Peace, be still
Related posts:
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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 | 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:
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by MeredithNMills | Feb 19, 2016 | Uncategorized
Sometimes I hear voices in my head.
Not the audible, easy to recognize kind. No, the voices I hear are often so sneaky, so subtle, that I don’t even realize they’re speaking to me. Maybe you know some of them…
Comparison
Discouragement
Worthlessness
Resignation
Self-sufficiency
Self-righteousness
Drivenness
Fear
Unforgiveness…
A few weeks ago, I caught myself listening to the voice of condemnation…I don’t think that girl likes me. I just don’t fit in. Maybe something is wrong with me. And like minions falling in behind their commander, my emotions quickly followed suit. I began to feel worthless and wretched. A sense of inadequacy enveloped me.
Then suddenly, a still small Voice cut through the noise, silencing all others. “I am pleased. You are Mine. You are walking by faith, and that’s what matters. People’s opinions do not define you.”
It was as if a sigh went through my whole being. Peace replaced restlessness. Acceptance banished condemnation. Confidence supplanted inadequacy.
It makes a difference whose voice you listen to.
Ours is a noisy culture. Always “connected,” we hear voices from a myriad of sources.
Sometimes they scream, from perfect Pinterest parties, to billboards peddling”beauty” for a price. And sometimes they whisper, like merciless memories of past regret. Often conflicting, insanely demanding, these voices can keep us running in circles as we strive to do their bidding.
But in the midst of it all, the Voice of truth invites us to come rest. To find our security and identity in the unchanging Rock that is Christ. To cease striving, and just know Him. To receive His love, His grace, His acceptance. To abide in the Vine and let Him produce His fruit. To fix our eyes on Jesus and tune our hearts to His voice.
He calls us to simple devotion and nearness with God.
Sometimes, I just have to unplug. To turn off the music. To postpone the “to do” list. And just. be. still.
Because there in the stillness, I learn to know His voice and trust His heart.
Whose voice are you listening to today? How do you distinguish between the Voice of God and other voices? What ways have you found to “tune in” to God and “tune out” other voices? Do tell!
Related posts:
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