Bigger than Life
I remember seeing a greeting card once, I think it was intended for encouragement, or maybe for humor. It had on its cover a bowl of bright red cherries, polished and inviting. On the inside were two words:
Life isn't.
Life experience has taught most of us the reality of that lesson, that life is not a bowl of cherries, no matter what the song said. You probably heard of that old song, first recorded by Ethel Merman for a movie in 1931, but later popularized by Rudy Valee. It was also recorded over the years by Judy Garland, Doris Day and Johnny Mathis. The point of the song simple, life is good, and pleasant, like a bowl of cherries.
But that is not always the case. Sometimes life is hard. Circumstances frustrate us, people disappoint us, we often don't understand what God is up to, and life can get downright depressing. The good news is that even when we are going through a hard time, even when we are facing trials that nearly overcome us, even when life isn't a bowl of cherries, it's good to know that God is bigger than life.
Which brings me to another song. I was listening to some Christian music oldies last week on Spotify, while I was in the gym. They played song by the group 4Him that I had never heard, and as expected it was a little on the cheesy side, or maybe the song just hasn't aged well in the quarter century since it was recorded. Here's how it started:
Life sometimes such a bully,
It sneaks up and knocks us to the ground.
Life seems to show no mercy,
It laughs at us and kicks us when we're down.
Well, I've been there in the shadow,
And the time has taught me this.
If we look over our shoulder,
We'll see that God is...
Bigger than life,
Bigger than anything that comes our way.
Bigger than life,
Bigger than any problems we might face.
Our God is so amazing beyond all we can say,
So hearts of faith take courage come what may,
He's bigger than life.
Maybe this week you are riding the wave, experiencing all the joys of life, and nothing can bring you down. For you, for now, life is like a big, delicious bowl of cherries.
For others, it feels like you are being bullied by life itself, and everything you face seems to be a constant uphill battle. Nothing ever seems to go your way. You wonder if God is even paying attention, and if He is, if He can handle the problems and pressures you are facing.
The good news is, as the song says, our God is bigger than anything that will come your way, and He is bigger than the bully of life that is always picking on you. That means, He is more powerful than your circumstances, and He can handle anything you face. He can be trusted, even when your faith is running short and you don't know what to believe any more. Hang in there, and "take courage come what may," because God has got this.
