Posted on by Paul N. Merideth

Faith Over Fear

I hope you all have a peaceful and joy-filled Christmas. One of the beautiful things about this time of year is the extra attention given to the blessings associated with faith. Christian faith spotlights God’s love and grace, his desire to show us favor and care. Through Christ’s redeeming work, God has taken away our deepest fears and replaced them with profound peace. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (John 14:27).

I’m struck by how many times in the narratives surrounding the birth of Jesus we have to hear the reassurance: “Do not fear.” When angels show up to deliver a message, that’s the first thing they usually have to say. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11).

We habitually need reassurance. After all, fear so quickly creeps in when uncertain events arise. That’s the case with Joseph and Mary. And so God sent a messenger to give them reassurance. It’s true of all of us as well.

Fear debilitates. It impairs our thinking, acting, and judgment. To quote Frank Herbert in his masterpiece sci-fi novel Dune, “Fear is the mind-killer.” Fear also causes us to lash out and attack others in desperate self-preservation. Fear prompts defensiveness. It makes us rash. It makes us harsh. It makes us sin. Fear inhibits our ability to rightly respond to the good things of God. Fear puts up blinders that hinder our ability to see the beauty of God. We need less fear and more faith.

The coming of Christ separates us from our fears. The incarnation of Jesus was God’s masterstroke of breaking into a broken world with hope and rescue. In the coming of Christ and his subsequent atonement work at the cross and empty tomb, sin and fear are defeated. We boldly believe that fear will ultimately be beaten at his anticipated second coming when all things will be made new. In the Christmas season, we’re invited to both fixate on his first coming and keep watchful for his second. When he comes again in glory to receive his own, we will inhabit a new heaven and a new earth together, and all our fears will vanish.

Today’s world can be scary, and most of us find ourselves grasping for something temporal for security, whatever that may be. We live in a world where it is tough to be fear-free. But amid anxiety and insecurity, Christians have true peace and true security in the one place it has always been and can still be found.

Paul Merideth

I hope you have a Merry Christmas. Remember, we can have faith even in the face of fear because we have a heavenly father who has sent salvation through a Savior, Christ the Lord. Therefore, fear not.

  • 51st Week of 2023 Reading: PHILIPPIANS 2:15-16 “That you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.”
  • Prayer to God: “Lord of All, we give you thanks for your abundance and all the great things you have given us, especially the gift of Your Son. We ask your blessing upon our food, work, life’s provisions, and friends and family. We also pray that you will look kindly upon all in need with great mercy. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”
  • Video Devotional Spotlight: Confidence in Christ
  • Reflections: Have you counted your blessings lately? Why not do an inventory today of all the good that God has poured into your life and cap off your review with a prayer of thanksgiving.
  • Sermon Preview: I’m finishing my sermon series on Matthew’s Gospel with a look at the crucifixion in 27:35-50. The birth scene of Jesus is humble, tender, and beautifully simple. Except for the angelic host onlooking, it was a private happening in obscurity. The death of Jesus, however, was a humiliating public spectacle. Yet, it is in the cross of Christ that we locate our Christian identity. You’re invited to come and worship with us.
Posted on by Paul N. Merideth · 1 Comment

Superabounding Grace

Some have superathletic abilities and naturally excel at sports. Some have a kind of superintelligence where subjects like mathematics or languages seem more effortless for them to learn. Those sorts of people are quite impressive. We’re drawn to them and in awe of their talents. “Super” means exhibiting the characteristics of their type to an extreme or excessive degree.

This tees up my point… God is superamazing. In his mercy, he is excessive. In his holiness, he is extreme. How glad we are that where sin abounds, not death, but grace superabounds. In light of this truth about how impressive God is, Christians are drawn like a moth to a flame to this marvelous God whose nature cannot be comprehended, only worshipped.

“Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 5:20-21).

Paul Merideth

  • 50th Week of 2023 Reading: 2 CORINTHIANS 3:18 “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”
  • Prayer to God: “You are a God of mercy, and we are grateful beyond words. Before we ever decided to live for You, You sent Jesus, full of mercy and grace for us. We ask You to show mercy and preserve life in every region – we pray for far-off places and places close to home. We ask You to soften the hearts of the proud and grant wisdom to the humble. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”
  • Video Devotional Spotlight: Finding Faith In Unlikely Places
  • Reflections: How does the message about God’s amazing grace in Romans 5:20-21 adjust how you weigh or make sense of your salvation?
  • Sermon Preview: I’m continuing my series drawing from Matthew’s Gospel. Next is a look at chapter 16, where the disciples miss the point, and Jesus offers a corrective lesson about their little faith; “Why can’t you understand that I’m not talking about bread?” You’re invited to come and worship with us.
Posted on by Paul N. Merideth

Flight to Egypt

Not a modern jet flight with first-class comfort and convenience; no, not even coach. They weren’t gazing out the window at the beautiful turquoise of the Mediterranean from 30,000 feet up. Instead, it was a harrowing trip by foot, taking them through the Sinai desert along long stretches of barren terrain at night. Not an easy trip for any young family. But Joseph has a precious treasure to protect. Here is infant Jesus, guarded by Joseph and Mary, escaping to an unlikely place of refuge from a maniac king.

In Matthew’s account of the flight to Egypt (Matthew 2:11-21), we read of a journey marked by adversity, fear, and, ultimately, the unwavering faithfulness of God’s providence. What is in one moment a beautiful scene of worship and adoration to the newborn king by the magi quickly turns to a pressured escape from a lunatic Herod. “Flee to Egypt (the angel says to Joseph)… for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” It was a narrow escape. “And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt.”

Here we see divine action, the angelic warning, and their instant obedience. Joseph obeys the angel’s instructions precisely and immediately, even waking his family in the night to flee. They followed directions well.

Yet why would Herod want to kill an infant? He made the bizarrely cruel decision to slaughter dozens of young boys to exterminate the one he thought could dethrone him. Did he feel his petty power threatened? What kind of egomaniac, what sort of tyrant, what kind of madman could commit such bloodthirsty crimes? Maybe Satan knew God was up to something big and leveraged all his demonic might to try to stop humanity’s redemption at its most vulnerable moment. We don’t know for sure. But we do know that at the divine direction, a messenger of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you.” This is Joseph’s mission. His purpose moment. Take, flee, remain. What a good father.

If entrusted with something valuable, it must be protected. In this moment of urgency, Joseph, who doesn’t get a lot of airtime in the text, steps up to do his duty. This is his shining moment to serve the Lord at a crucial time in redemptive history. He fulfills his mission.

And so for us, when we are entrusted, sometimes even unexpectedly, with something valuable, we must cherish and protect it. Maybe for you, it means being a responsible parent prioritizing the precious young faith of your children. Perhaps you are in the season of life where God has entrusted you with care for a senior parent. And though their memory is fading and their dependency ever increasing, you obey your mission from the Lord to honor your father and mother. And consider, maybe it’s your own faith that needs to take a flight to Egypt to protect it from being murdered by temptation.

Thankfully, we know that God is faithful in his promises, and we do well to flee to him in our dark moments. “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Psalm 73:26).

The flight to Egypt is a powerful demonstration to God’s providential care in the face of adversity, and the obedient response of God’s faithful servants. As we navigate the challenges of our own journeys, let us remember that God’s plans often unfold in unexpected ways. Whether in moments of adoration, seeking refuge, or facing the sorrow of a broken world, God remains faithful, guiding us through the shadows toward the light of His redemptive purpose.

May we find solace in the assurance that, just as God protected the family on their journey, he is with us in our own pilgrimages of faith. Trust in God’s providence, obey his directions, for in him we find our refuge and our hope.

Paul Merideth

  • 49th Week of 2023 Reading: LAMENTATIONS 3:22-23 “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
  • Prayer to God: “Heavenly Father, please give us peace to still today’s anxieties, help us be generous with forgiveness to quench our bitterness against others, and inspire us with passion to pursue kingdom work faithfully. We confess our sins and appeal always to Christ as our savior. As we are watched, help us show the way, through our attitude and actions, for others to better know your righteousness. We commit anew to you. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”
  • Video Devotional Spotlight: Two Advents
  • Christmas Gift Recommendation: Why not give a small book in the stocking of that 5th grader you love? “Twenty and Ten” by Claire Huchet Bishop tells the story of ordinary kids, inspired by the Bible’s story of the flight to Egypt, deciding to shelter ten Jewish children from Nazi brutalization.
  • Sermon Preview: Throughout December I’m preaching a series based on Matthew’s Gospel. Coming next is a dive into chapter 10, where we see Jesus who is himself on mission, giving a mission to his select apostles. You’re invited to come and worship with us.
Posted on by Paul N. Merideth

Christian Light

Here we go.

My dad had a print publication titled Christian Light, which ran for many years with nationwide subscribers. I’m not trying to replicate that. But I am claiming the name as an homage to his ministry and a launchpad for my own writing project.

Why do we need another minister blogging about ministry? I’ll leave that question hanging in the ether and instead of justifying the project, I’ll briefly comment on why I want to do it. I’m doing this for the local church where I serve. My passion is to teach, encourage, and equip them for life in God’s kingdom. I want to cheer them on their journey to spiritual maturity. And I’m also doing this as an outlet for my urge to contribute with words to the cause.

My hope is these simple words will brighten your life by helping you keep reminded of who you are. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16).

Paul Merideth

  • 48th Week of 2023 Reading: PSALM 40:1-3 “I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord.”
  • Prayer to God: “Heavenly Father, bless us to glorify you through all of who we are. Keep us safe. Heal our sick. Mend our wounds. Conform us more and more into the image of Christ. Thank you for all your beautiful gifts into our lives. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”
  • Video Devotional Spotlight: Killing Sin
  • Sermon Preview: In December, I’ll preach a series based on Matthew’s Gospel titled “His Life Story.” You’re invited to come and worship with us.