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Sometimes you hear a familiar truth and it just hits you differently.

I was worshiping with some family this weekend and the minister read a familiar text from Colossians chapter 1 about Jesus. In the midst of this paragraph about the Jesus the Christ being foremost above and before all things, we see this idea that struck me more powerfully than ever before this weekend:

“And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”

Colossians 1.17

The brother that was speaking made a comment that caused me to pause on this idea. I want to expand on it here for a moment.

Paul wrote that Jesus—the very one that John identified as the Word of God who became flesh—was the voice we read about in the creation account in Genesis chapter 1 (you may recall the formula, “and God said… and it was…).

Paul writes here in Colossians 1 that Jesus, the one who spoke all of creation into existence, holds all things together. Think on that for a moment.

When that tiny baby was born in a stable and placed in a manger, He was at the same time holding the molecules tightly together that enabled the wood of that manger to hold him securely. (Luke 2)

When Mary and Joseph searched frantically for Him and found Him sitting in the temple listening and asking questions of the teachers there, that young boy was the very power holding the stones of the temple together and empowering the gravity that held them fast. (Luke 2)

When Jesus had fallen asleep in the back of the boat and His friends were in a panic due to the sudden storm, Jesus spoke and the sea instantly calmed because He was the One who was holding the waters in their place and He was the One who held the timber of the boat together. (Luke 8)

When thousands of people had come out and listened all day long to Jesus’ teaching, the One who held each of those loaves of bread and the fishes of a boy’s lunch together made them multiply so much that everyone there had plenty and more than 7 times the original amount available was left over. (Mark 8)

When Jesus was beaten beyond recognition by Roman soldiers, He was still the One holding the cords of the whip together. (Matthew 27)

When He was nailed to the cross, He was still the One holding the fibers of the wood in place and keeping the molecules of the nails stuck together. (Matthew 27)

Even when He yielded up His spirit, it was His own power holding the veil of the temple together and His power that tore it in two from top to bottom. (Matthew 27)

So when a lifeless body, 3 days cold, breathed in again and stepped out of a sealed tomb, it was no stretch for the One who holds all things together. (Matthew 28)

There is a crucial thing I want us to see here.

When you’re the One holding the laws of nature in force, you get to decide when to go beyond them.

What difference does it make to us today?

If even death is subject to Him, is there any force at play in this world that He does not have the power to override? Remember who we’re praying to, my friends.

Even when you feel like it takes all of the strength you have to hold it all together, remember this: He holds all things together.

You can be sure your problems are not too big for Him to hold you together too.