"And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together"
The Lord is holding all things together. This is a wonderful promise, but sometimes it seems hard to see. After all, much of what we experience seems to be the result of things falling apart.
The New York Times today wrote a story with the title: Israel and Iran, Newly Emboldened, Exchange Blows in Syria Face-Off. You could see pictures of missiles from Damascus right before your eyes. Reading such a story makes you wonder if things are being held together or falling apart.
A quick scan through headlines of a local news website revealed the following headlines:
-"Oklahoma Detective Works to Solve Hundreds of Cold Case Murders"
-"Elementary School on Lockdown Due to Threat"
-"Hawaii Volcano Could Spew Boulders the Size of Refrigerators"
These are just some of the real-world events of our day. While these are real and serious issues, it is likely these are not the most pressing concerns on your mind. My guess is your own personal headlines are more likely to make you wonder if the Lord is truly holding all things together.
Your personal headlines today may be something like:
-"Will My Parents Divorce?"
-"Will I Ever Find a Job?"
-"Will My Wayward Child Ever Come Back?"
-"Will I Ever Find Friends in This New Place?"
-"(Fill in the blank with your own most pressing problem)"
The questions are as numerous as the people reading this page, but we all have something in common. Every person faces struggles in life where they are confronted with something so personal and so painful that they wonder if God is holding things together or if things are unraveling.
How tempting it is to look at a broken government, a broken down car, a broken heart, a broken relationship, or a broken bone, and wonder, "What is happening to me?"
I may not be able to answer the question of what is happening to you, but I can tell you what is NOT happening. The world is NOT spinning out of control. Neither the universe, nor your life, is beyond the realm of God's sustaining, upholding power.
The God who created all things also upholds all things. That includes you. The God who created you will also uphold you and hold you together. Read Luke 12:22-31:
22 And he said to his disciples,“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. 23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. 24 Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! 25 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 26 If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? 27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28 But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! 29 And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. 30 For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.
Consider also the words of Micah 7:7 -- But as for me, I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.
Your God hears you. He takes care of you. He knows your needs. And He holds all things together. Yes, the nations may rage and evil people plot their schemes. Pain invades our lives and the sting can be devastating. Yet for the Christian, the pain is not forever and the sting is not without limit. To be absolutely sure, the hurts and harms of this present world are real, but they cannot cause the world to unravel...not ultimately. There is One who is more powerful than anything you face. For our God rules and He reigns. He is before all things, and in Him, all things hold together. And that promise includes you and whatever you are facing this very day.
_____________________________________
If this has been an encouragement to you, you can share by clicking one of the buttons below. If you would like to request prayer for yourself or someone you love, you can do so by clicking here .
Comments