Advent Devotional from our DS's wife Robbie Craker

Sunday, Third Week of Advent 2009

We look at this Son and see the God who cannot be seen. We look at this Son and see God's original purpose in everything created. For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, rank after rank after rank of angels—everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him. He was there before any of it came into existence and holds it all together right up to this moment. And when it comes to the church, he organizes and holds it together, like a head does a body.

He was supreme in the beginning and—leading the resurrection parade—he is supreme in the end. From beginning to end he's there, towering far above everything, everyone. So spacious is he, so roomy, that everything of God finds its proper place in him without crowding. Not only that, but all the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe—people and things, animals and atoms—get properly fixed and fit together in vibrant harmonies, all because of his death, his blood that poured down from the cross.

–Colossians 1:15-20 (The Message)

He’s holding it all together right up to this moment! Good News! Some of us might need to be reminded of this today. It isn’t up to us to hold it all together. Jesus Christ is holding it all together right up to this moment! Are you glad for that? The older I get the more I understand it and believe it, perhaps because I’m not so able to hold it all together anymore. Sad thing is – it was never expected of me. I probably wasted a lot of time, energy, and stress trying to accomplish something that God never expected of me.

At this time of year – with all the extra strain to make the holidays perfect – we need to know that we were created by Him- for Him and that He is the one who is holding us. None of this “pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps.” None of this “God helps the ones who help themselves.” None of this “stiff upper lip” stuff. We can’t, nor should we, pull ourselves up – only He is able to pick us up and set us on the way again. We can’t, nor should we, think we must help ourselves before God will find us deserving of His help – He is there for us in our weakness more than ever. We can’t, nor should we, think we must keep our sorrow and pain to ourselves – He longs to carry our burden and give us Christian friends to bear them with us.

That’s why He came to us – God putting on skin – to let us know that He holds it all together. We can relax a little bit and rest in Him and His arms of love.

“Father in heaven – thank You for Your Son who holds it all together. Forgive us for thinking it depends on us. Give us many moments to rest and breathe in the life of the Spirit. Amen”