Submitted
by Elizabeth Hall, North Side Baptist Church
…greater is He that is in you
than he who is in the world. I John 4:4
Have you ever been somewhere
where you really don’t belong? Like a fish dropped in a desert?
Earlier this year our family was
able to travel to India. We spent a couple of days taking in the beautiful
chaos throughout Jaipur during the Hindu Holi Festival. It was an incredible
experience of complete sensory overload, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that
in the midst of the millions of people crowding the city, our family of five
was alone. This feeling was culminated as our Hindu friend, Ankit, graciously
served us dinner in his home and led us to a celebration in an alleyway of his
village.
Tears streamed down my face as
we silently watched the priest recanting his prayers. Our hearts broke watching
villagers perform rituals and place offerings into a fire. To this day, I still
can’t put all of the feelings of that night into words, but to say I felt
overwhelmed and out of place is a huge understatement. My husband gently pulled
our children and me tightly to him and began to pray aloud to the one true God:
“Greater is He”.
No matter the amount of darkness
and chaos around us, greater is He. No matter the power of evil, greater is He.
No matter who might oppose us, greater is He. No matter my weakness, greater is
He. In that moment, huddled close to my family, I no longer felt that we were
alone. I felt the peace and presence of the one true God fill me and surround
us. Our children later told us that they felt Jesus there with us too.
Lord, I know that no matter
where you may take me, I can confidently rest in Your promise that You are
always with me (Matthew 28:20). I Invite Your peace and presence to surround me
today (Colossians 3:15). Help me to step out confidently toward whatever You
may have for me and trust that greater are You who is in me than he who is in
the world.
