The Son is . . . sustaining all things by his powerful word. — Hebrews 1:3
He is before all things, and in him all things consist. — Colossians 1:17
The Greek word that is interpreted as consist means to be sustained, or literally to be held together.
Christ as the maker of all things. And here we see that he is holding it all together. This image is powerful. In Christ all things were made, and through Christ all things are sustained and held together. God did not create all things and then leave them be.
Creation itself bears this out
Since the 1930’s physicists have known that atoms are held together by electromagnetic force, which causes negatively and positively charged particles to attract one another, while like charges repel each other. Atoms are composed of a positively-charged nucleus surrounded by negatively-charged electrons. The nucleus receives its positive charge from protons.
The puzzle for physicists has been that the nucleus often contains more than one proton – uranium, for example, has 92 protons – which should repel each other. There is another force holding the nucleus together. Physicists have labeled this the Nuclear Strong Force. Without this Strong Force, the nucleus, and thus the atom, would fly apart. That’s called nuclear fission (aka Atomic Bomb).
God is in control
Through Christ, all things are being sustained and held together. This serves as a powerful reminder that God is in control.
In the world around us today it’s easy to feel like life seems to be going out of control. We have this powerful assurance that God is holding everything together. Find rest and peace in knowing that Christ is “sustaining all things by his powerful Word.”