Heart Tracks - Stronger Than......?

     I remember back when I was 12 or 13, one of the famous laundry detergents had an ad and jingle out that proclaimed their product was "stronger than dirt."  Obviously it was a catchy ad seeing as I remember it all these years later.  In fact, it came to my mind just today after hearing Bible teacher Angela Thomas speak on a new study she's written entitled simply, "Stronger."  Her talking brought to me the memory of that ad, and then the thought of all the things out there, that can happen to us, that we may, indeed likely will have to walk through.  Will we do so alone?  Will we have the strength?  More, does He?

    We're skilled at talking about the strength of God, but very unskilled about living in it.  We are either overwhelmed by the mountains, floods, and earthquakes of life, or, we try to forge ahead through them in our own strength, wisdom, and understanding.  All the while, fear lurks both within and without.  Somehow, we doubt that we'll make it, doubt that He'll really be there for us, and if He is there, whether He'll show up on our behalf.  I expect that this a great part of our problem.  We have a picture of a God who hangs around until we need Him.  He doesn't interfere with most of our day to day living, but when the crisis comes, we break the glass on the "God Alarm," and look for Him to ride in and make all things better.  We define better by making the problem go away completely, or else completely removing us from the midst of the problem.  God on the other hand has a much different picture of it all.
     God's picture is not that we live around Him, but in Him.  Paul said of Christ that "in Him we live, move, and have our being."  This is a conscious way of life, a moment by moment life.  It is a life that doesn't look for His power, His strength, His wisdom, but lives within it and at all times receives it.  This way we need not ask for strength, we already have it in Christ.  His word says that He has freely given us all things, so our part is then to receive what He's given.  Live in what He's given.  Not what He will give, but what He has already given.  It's not rocket science, though we surely make it so.
     So many can quickly quote the scripture, "Greater is He that is you than he that is in the world."  What would happen if we really believed and lived that?  What if we were to take just the words, "Greater is He.....than......."  What is your "than?"  The past?  Woundedness?  Fear?  Failure?  Adversity?  Abandonment?  Hopelessness?  Is He greater than all those?  Is He stronger?  Is He stronger than all the "dirt" that can attack our lives?  If we truly live in Him, have received from Him, we know the answer to that.  If he remains "God behind the glass," called on in emergency,

I expect our doubts about it all are very real.  What's the "than" in your life?  Is He stronger, greater than.......that?

Blessings,

Pastor O