He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

The “He” of our verse today is Jesus. But, let’s look back a few verses to set the stage for what the writer, the Apostle Paul, is trying to convey in verse 17. Paul writes in verse 15 that “the Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.” Did you catch that – the image of the invisible God? If you’re like me, you look in the mirror every single day. We expect to see our own image – to find out if we’re presentable for whatever we’re heading out for next. Sometimes we like what we see and other times... But try to wrap your head around what Paul is saying. It’s as if there is a heavenly mirror and God the Father who is invisible is reflected in the visible Jesus. Wow!

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Then Paul goes on to write that “all things have been created through him and for him” (Col 1:18b). So, Jesus was also involved in creating. This is important. He created; He knows things from their very beginning – from their origins – because he was there and actively involved.

Then we get to today’s verse where we learn that “He is before all things.” Another challenging concept for a Monday morning (or anytime, really!). Jesus, as part of the triune God, does not have a beginning. John puts it this way in John 1:1-2, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.” This beginning is before the beginning of our understanding – before Creation.

But the second part of Colossians 1:17 is a phrase we can build a foundation upon: “...and in him all things hold together.” He did not create and walk away. He did not create and sit back. He sustains everything.

What does sustain mean in our lives? It’s probably not a word that’s often in our daily vocabulary. Maybe we think of sustenance for a hike or camping trip. Maybe we think of how long we can sustain a plank or other yoga pose. Perhaps we think of our bank account and wonder how much longer it will sustain us. Or if we can sustain our patience through the toddler or teenage years.

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The word sustain, according to Oxford Languages, means to strengthen or support physically or mentally. Jesus, who is one with God, wants to sustain you. Isn’t that comforting?

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Jesus has the power to sustain everything. We take many natural things for granted – the sun coming up each morning; the moon keeping the tides in order; stars in a particular place in the sky which can not only be admired and used for light, but also for navigation. These all may be explained as laws of nature, but without Jesus’ sustaining power they would no longer hold together. He is Creator and Sustainer. We may not always understand why he allows certain things to happen when he holds all power to sustain, but we know he does have the power, and we submit our will to trust him.

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The universe may be one thing, but Jesus’ care and control doesn’t end there. He also sustains us personally. We have evidence throughout the Bible of His care and sustenance. He sustained the Israelites for 40 years wandering through the wilderness. He sustained David during his many years between being anointed and becoming king – protecting and sustaining him while Saul sought his life. The list could go on, and his sustaining care hasn’t ceased.

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We wake up each morning with breath in our lungs. We have the ability to praise Him. We may not understand all the details, but Paul writes in Philippians 4:19 that “God will supply all our needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus.”

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The amazing thing is that not only did Jesus come to rescue us from our sin and give us new life in him, but he also wants to sustain us. He is our Sustainer. The question is, are we allowing him this place in our lives? It’s so easy to think that we are in control and in charge and then we get things out of whack. We need to be reminded that Jesus is our Sustainer and turn to him daily and trust him with all the details of our lives – from big to small. He knows them and wants to sustain us through them.

Jesus, thank you for being our Sustainer. Forgive us for not relying upon you and for thinking that we can do life on our own. We make it much harder and messier than it needs to be. Thank you for your patience with us. Please remind us today and this week that you are our Sustainer. Nudge us when we need to turn things over to you and to trust you. We love you and thank you.

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Amen.