WHO WILL WIN?

Colossians 1:15-17 (The Message)

Christ Holds It All Together

15-17 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.

I'm not sure why, but I just keep coming back to this passage of scripture. I know that GOD is the one that keeps bringing me back to it. All I can think is that GOD wants me to see what I keep shutting out. HE is out there watching us. Taking care of us really. Without HIM everything would just stop. The earth would stop turning, the sun and the moon would stop shining, basically...all life would cease to exist. We find GOD, through HIS son, JESUS.

How that relates to me in this moment is...if I give up GOD in my life, I would basically cease to exist. As a being I would still be here, alive but not. My life as I have come to know it wouldn't be right. GOD has got to be the purpose that I live for. Life begins in HIM and HE is the glue that keeps me together, basically the life blood that runs through me.

There are times in our lives when it seems that everything just crashes in on us. It's kind of like someone just throws you out in the surf during high tide.There are waves crashing all around you and you can't get your feet under you. You keep going under but something keeps pushing you back to the top. Is it GOD? You catch some air and think...alright, I'm gonna stay on top...and then another wave hits you. Do you let it get the best of you and drown you? Or do you fight your way back to the top where you can breathe? That's a good question.

One time when I was fishing for perch in the ocean I had an experience like this. At low tide we would go down to the beach to fish. When the waves would roll out you would run after them and throw your line in. Then you would turn and run back up the beach letting line out as you went. The trick was that you had to beat the waves so they didn't knock you down before you got back up to safe territory. It was all in the timing. Well, once I didn't time it right and the waves hit me and started taking me back out with them. I kept going under and I was sure I was going to drown. I was fishing by myself so yelling wouldn't have helped. I can remember clawing at the sand every time I hit it trying to get back up on my feet.

Sometimes that seems to be how it is when things go wrong in our lives. You just keep grabbing for a handful of sand instead of grabbing for HIS hand like you know you should. JESUS is holding HIS hand out to you. It's like GOD is saying...Go ahead and grab on. I've been watching you and taking care of you. I've been there always for you. I sent my SON for you. My spirit is always with you yet you can't find your way because you give up. Don't give up. I'm here for you. Stop shutting ME out.

In some ways, this fight is even more important than the one I had while fishing. You can let it keep you on the bottom until the fight is gone out of you...or keep clawing your way back to the surface. I guess that's the decision that has to be made. Is HE the one that you are going to let hold it all together. Is there still some fight left? I don't know. Do you?