Held Together

READ: COLOSSIANS 1:15-23

Think for a minute about everything you see around you every day—the sky, your home, your shoes, your food…Within each of those visible objects are invisible objects that are working together to create something tangible. Your shoes are made of molecules, which are made of atoms, which are made of electrons and protons and neutrons, which are made of quarks. Inside the sun are myriad electrons exploding around each other and bare protons fusing together, creating something powerful enough to heat the entire earth. The sun’s heat creates temperature differences (and therefore pressure differences) in the earth’s atmosphere, and this creates wind. You can’t see the heat, and you can’t see the wind. Yet around you every day the wind is causing sailboats to float calmly down a river or crash headlong into cliffs.

And that’s just on earth. In heaven, the Lord is sitting on His throne, directing the events of human history and sending out His angels to do His work. Meanwhile on earth, all the rulers and authorities in every dominion sit on their thrones—but each of them sits under Jesus Christ. Colossians 1 tells us that every person in power (and not in power) is subject to Him alone.

God created all things, and it’s vital for us to understand that Jesus is “the image of the invisible God” and all things were created “through him and for him” (verse 15-16, emphasis added). Everything we see, as well as everything we can’t see, is working under His authority.

Let’s take you for example. Everything on the outside—your hands, your legs, your face—as well as everything you can’t see on the inside—your heart, your lungs, your brain—was created by God and is working together for Him. Your heart keeps pumping, your blood keeps flowing, all because the Lord loves you, and He has a reason for you to be here today.

God is sovereign; He is in control. Nothing happens without His divine oversight. We have to start there. God is above all and in all (Ephesians 4:6). He is working behind the scenes in every situation for our good because He loves us (Romans 8:28). So no matter what happens, you can rely on Jesus, knowing that He is working in you for His good purposes on this earth. • Merrick Potter

• Especially when life feels out of control, how could it be helpful to remember that Jesus is with us, and He is holding everything together—including us? (Matthew 28:20; Colossians 1:17)

For everything was created by him, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through him and for him. Colossians 1:16 (CSB)