He Holds All Things Together
Verse of the Day
“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”
Today’s Devotional
Stop and think about that for a minute. Jesus is the exact representation of God. So if I want to know God, or know more about God, I need to look at Jesus. I used to get a little jealous sometimes of the disciples who got to spend so much time with Jesus. They were privileged to actually witness the radiance of God’s glory in the person of Jesus. But…It is possible that I would not have appreciated that fact had I been present. It is also possible that I would not have believed.
Jesus sustains all things by His powerful word. Science tells us the laws of nature which make the world work the way it does. I am not disputing those facts. This verse tells me that those scientific laws hold true because of Jesus. He is the sustainer of all things. Not just faith and love and forgiveness. All things. My body, this world, my house, my relationships, my faith. Everything has its place, purpose, and sustenance because of Jesus. Colossians 1:17 says that Jesus “holds all creation together.” Do we give Him the credit that is due Him for the fact that everything in this created world exists because of Him?
The next sentence in this verse reminds me of the order of things. “After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”
After.
Jesus’s example shows us that the good parts come after the hard jobs are completed. According to this verse, the good parts for Jesus are rest and being in heaven with His Father. The hard job of providing purification for our sins, that included: ridicule, betrayal, service, compassion, teaching, physical pain, death. Just to name a few.
We must do the hard work first. I tend to only want the good parts without having to endure and complete the hard jobs. If I am to become more like Jesus, then I must be willing to complete any task God assigns to me, no matter how difficult.
I must also be aware that any reward or comfort or rest may not happen on this earth. Knowing that, am I still willing?
Journal Prompts
Answer only the questions that seem relevant to you today.
How do you need Jesus to sustain you today?
What hard jobs are you tackling?
Do you ever want the rest and reward before the job is completed?
How can you honor Jesus for the work He did on your behalf?