All Things Held Together

If all a person did was read the news the last couple weeks one would think the wheels are falling off, that the world’s falling apart..  The economy is crashing, sickness is rampant and killing people, people are out of jobs and this is just the beginning they are telling us.  The coronavirus forecast changes for the worse more times in a day than the weather forecast during springtime in Colorado.

The fabric of our society seems to be stretching and has some seams that are coming apart.  It doesn’t look “together”. It doesn’t look alright. It feels uncertain and changing. Basic household goods are hard to find.  The ultimate place of security and unchangeableness is the grocery store and they are tumultuous and overrun lately. One cashier I talked to said that she has worked at King Soopers for 32 years and she has never seen anything like this at her store before.

Where is one to look for security?  Where does our hope come from? Let me offer a passage from the Bible to consider in changing and uncertain times.  This passage of scripture has been coursing through my mind this past week and has helped me to “redirect my energy from anxiety and panic to love and preparation” as Andy Crouch put it last week.

Colossians 1:15-23

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities-all things were created through him and for him.  And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.  And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting form the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.

We have this massive encouragement in Jesus. He was before all things and by him all things were made and are held together - to this day.  All the fullness of God dwelt in him and through him he has reconciled sinners to himself! Once you were far off, but he has brought you near, near to himself.  He will present you before the Father, holy and blameless, above reproach.

Be steadfast, immovable, not shifting in the fervency of your hope in the gospel!  Look to Jesus. Consider Him. Seek wisdom, we need much of it these days, but cling to Jesus.  He is our hope. He is immovable, unchangeable and all things are held together in him. That doesn’t mean that bad things won’t happen, but it does mean bad things cannot keep us from Jesus.

Reach out to a brother or sister in Christ to consider these great truths and pray together this week as an encouragement to one another. We all need it in these uncertain times.  We need to be reminded of the certainty of Christ’s love and our eternal hope. And give an answer for your hope to a neighbor or coworker who doesn’t have this security in Christ.

I’m going to copy the Apostle Paul this week in my prayer for you all at Orchard.

I’ll be asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.  May you be strengthened with all power according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved son, in whom we have redemption the forgiveness of sins.  Colossians 1:9-13

For the King,

Paul