Scripture for the day: Colossians 1:17-18 “And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.”
My pastor spoke from these passages Sunday, and his message resonated with me.
Verse 17 says that Christ is before all things. That simply means that He was here before anything in the universe. He is eternal. He was here before all things and He will be here after all things perish. In my topsy-turvy, upside-down world, that is very comforting. He knows what happened in the past and what will happen in the future. So when I’m looking for someone to believe, someone to trust, Jesus wins.
The word “consist” means to hold together. Christ literally holds everything together, maintaining the proper balance to keep everything working as it should. On any given day, I may or may not be able to hold my life together. Circumstances arise and my day simply unravels. But not to worry. Jesus is able to take my disheveled day and put it back together according to His purpose.
Verse 18 talks about Christ having preeminence in all things. He wants to be #1 in my heart, in my mind and in my life. How many things are competing for that place? Football season is just around the corner. I’m a fan. I love football. So which team is #1? It is always the biggest question on the minds of fans. At the start of the season, every team (well, almost every team) claims to be #1. By midway through the season, however, it is clear that many are no where close to #1.
When I was diagnosed with cancer, Jesus was with me all the way. He went to surgery with me, watched over me while I was unconscious and was with me when I woke up. He held my hand during every chemo session, and He was there when the nausea hit. No matter what time of day or night, He was there. Always. My favorite football team, the one I had considered #1? They never showed up for any of the fun. Preeminence? The award has to go to Christ, hands down.
Christ died for me. He took my sins and nailed them to the cross. The blood He shed was for me, and He cleansed me. My desire is to make him #1 in my life. I want to walk hand-in-hand with Him wherever He leads me. The path may be steep and rocky at times, but He just wants me to try. He knows I am weak and get off the path at times, but He is always there to provide strength and direction.
So as football season approaches, I will simply smile when I hear all the talk about which team is #1. My prayer is that I will simply yield to Christ’s call on my life and let Him be my captain. Together, we can score big for His kingdom.
Song for the day: All That Thrills My Soul is Jesus
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