Greater

A few years ago I wrote about Greater Is He with the Crabb Family music video of the same name.

I love how music is a great source that helps remind me of spiritual truths. I need the reminding as well – something I wrote about in the older piece.

On this occasion it was the John P. Kee and New Life Community Choir track that came to mind. The context is important.

My life balance always appears to have one element slightly askew. The family might be well, church might be good, I’ll feel physically well but the work situation might be unsatisfactory for one reason. Then of course just when the work sorts itself, the church situation goes wonky. Then when that gets sorted, the family gets out of gear. Then … you get the picture. It’s certainly one way to consider my life dynamic.

Sometimes the displacement can be significant and threaten my inner wellbeing. There are many accusatory thoughts that threaten my belief in God and God’s definition of me. At times I’ve buckled to those thoughts and lived down to those accusations.

Thank God for the truth.

Thank God that when Jesus rescued me from the kingdom of darkness, He took me on a process and a journey. The outcome is the same – reflecting His glorious character. To do so He has kicked out the previous owner of the misery that was my existence and has installed the rightful King to take complete control and usher in righteousness, peace and joy.

That is to say people who look at Christopher Dryden are looking at a body which is ruled by the Creator of the universe. I love the line in the song,

The Great One abides
Thd Great One resides
The Great One He lives inside of me
Greater is He that is in me
Than he that is in the world

I love it because when the shifts and displacements happen, when the accusations come up, when the doubts look to creep in – The Great One reminds me that my life is not my own. I have been bought with a great price. Now this life belongs to the Great One.

As He is the Great One and no one is greater, all anxieties subside, all doubts erased, all accusations dismissed and all hope and trust is reaffirmed.

That is the cue for all the other overwhelming truths to reassure and minister to me. Truths like nothing can separate me from His love. Truths like those He has called, He is conforming to His image. Truths like He that begun a good work will see it through til the appearing of the Son. Truths like I am His son and as such am seated in heavenly places as a joint heir with Jesus.

Now truths like that far outweigh the often upsetting and destabilising episodes in life. To then be assured that life’s troubles and trials are nothing compared to the joy that awaits is awesome. It’s also sweet to kniw that even going through The Great One resides and abides through it – that is what you call a blessed assurance.

It’s blessed assurances like this which will help us endure to the end.

For His Name’s Sake
Shalom
C. L. J. Dryden