40 Days of Praise - Day 5

Day Five

“For by him [Jesus] all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities – all things were created through him and for him.”
Colossians 1:16

When I was worship pastor at Armitage Baptist Church, one of our drummers was a professional percussionist. He was humble and soft spoken, but was clearly the best drummer on the list.

One weekend, a chart topping recording artist was scheduled to perform in Chicago when their drummer ended up in the hospital. The recording artist called our drummer to fill in for the Chicago performances.

We all looked at him in awe and asked, “Who are you?!!” We knew he could play, but we had no idea he was on the “A” list of a major recording artist.

We think we know Jesus, meek and mild, born in a stable in Bethlehem, and raised in a backwater called Nazareth. That Jesus, the one who preached and taught and healed and raised the dead, who called us his friends and laid down his life for us –– that Jesus is more than He seems.

Yesterday‘s devotional was about Jesus the Firstborn, not the first to be born, but the one who has preeminence over all others. In today’s verse, which follows yesterday’s, the preeminence of Jesus is explained to us

Think back to Genesis chapter 1. We see God creating the heavens and the earth. But when we get to the New Testament, we see that the will to create was the Father’s but the hand that created was the Son's. By Him [or in Him], were all things made: the creatures that fill the air, those that travel on the ground or burrow underneath, and everything in the seas. He spoke the universe into existence. And then He rolled up His metaphorical sleeves, and He formed and fashioned you and me. Everything from the heavens to the earth is His creation.

But he also created everything visible and invisible. Having just described the visible, Paul now describes for us the invisible world: thrones and dominions and rulers and authorities. The entire world of angelic beings was created by God the Son.

With his infinite intelligence and creativity, with his boundless power, he conceived in his mind, in all of its intricate detail, every created thing, both visible and invisible. Every angel and every mammal, every star and every quark. Nothing was made apart from him

Let us reflect deeply on that as we form our mouth to call Him "friend." We see the Lamb of God who took away our sins. We see our loving Savior raised from the dead. But He has also existed eternally, having no beginning or end. After speaking the universe into existence, he was not tired. Nothing depletes His energy. He need not breath or eat or drink. He is life itself, and has created all life from Himself.

So run to Him! Entrust yourself to Him! Cast your cares upon Him! Confess your sins before Him and pour out your heart. He loves you more dearly than you can ever fully grasp. And as you find comfort in His presence and His promises, as you find refuge and hope in His grace, remember that He is more -- remember who He really is,

And worship.

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