IN THE MARGINS: Hold on to the God who holds it all together

By Tony Martin
Editor

This week, I’ve been reflecting on something that’s both humbling and comforting: the size of our God often determines the size of our trust. When we think about God, it’s easy to reduce Him to a concept we can fit into our human-sized understanding. We might see Him as a kindly figure watching from a distance or a strict overseer keeping tabs on our actions. But the Bible paints a far bigger picture of God — one that stretches beyond our imagination and, when fully grasped, radically transforms the way we trust.

Take a moment to think about this: “Everything was created through him and for him. He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together” (Col. 1:17). That’s a pretty massive statement, isn’t it? It tells us that Jesus isn’t just a part of the creation story; He is the source of it all. Every mountain peak, every ocean wave, every star in the sky — all of it came into being through Him. And He didn’t just create it; He sustains it. He holds all things together.

When I read that, I’m struck by the enormity of it. If Jesus can hold the universe in place — if He can keep the stars from colliding and the planets from spinning out of control — then He can certainly hold onto me. He can hold onto my worries, my fears, my uncertainties. The One who holds it all together is holding me, and that’s a truth I need to remind myself of every day.

There’s a story I heard once that I think captures this idea perfectly. It’s about a woman named Sarah, who was going through one of the toughest seasons of her life. She had just lost her job, her marriage was on the rocks, and she was battling a chronic illness that left her exhausted and in pain. It felt like everything in her life was falling apart at once, and she didn’t know how much longer she could hold it all together.

One night, in the midst of her despair, she found herself flipping through her Bible. She wasn’t looking for anything in particular — just some comfort, a bit of peace. She stumbled upon Colossians 1:17 and read those words: “He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together.” And something clicked. She realized she had been trying so hard to keep her life from falling apart, to manage every crisis, to control every outcome. But here was Jesus, bigger than she could ever comprehend, holding the entire universe together. And in that moment, she understood that she didn’t have to hold everything together. She didn’t have to carry the weight of the world on her shoulders. She could trust the One who was already holding it all.

From that day on, Sarah’s circumstances didn’t magically change — her challenges were still there. But her perspective did. She started to lean into this truth that Jesus was with her, holding her, holding everything. And with that realization came a profound sense of peace. She began to pray differently, not so much asking God to change her situation, but to help her trust Him more, to rest in His strength. She found herself saying, “God, I know You’ve got this, even when I don’t.” And slowly, she began to see that He really did.

I think we all have a bit of Sarah in us. We all have those moments when we feel like the weight of our problems is more than we can bear. We try to hold everything together, to manage every little detail, and to fix every problem. But what if we shifted our focus from the size of our problems to the size of our God? What if we took a step back and looked up, realizing that the same Jesus who keeps the galaxies spinning is the one holding us, too?

Trusting in a big God doesn’t mean our problems suddenly disappear or that life becomes easy. It means we find a new way to live through our challenges. It means we can face uncertainty with a sense of calm because we know that the One who holds it all together is also holding us. It means that when life feels chaotic and out of control, we have an anchor for our souls — something sure and steadfast.

So, whatever you’re facing today, remember this: You are held. Your problems are held. The same hands that hold the universe hold you, and they are hands that never let go. It’s not about our grip on God, but His grip on us. And His grip is strong, steady, and sure. In Him, we find our place, our peace, and our purpose. So, let go of the fear, let go of the need to control, and hold on to the God who holds it all together. He’s got you, and He’s not letting go.