Held Together From The Center
Starting at the true center, Jesus brings the pieces together.
Devotional Credit: In Christ, E. Stanley Jones, September 30
Photo Credit: Unsplash
Paul rejoiced to see the church walking in good order and in the firmness of faith in Jesus. E. Stanley Jones helps us see why those always travel together. When faith rests in the Son, life finds a center that can carry its weight. Where trust drifts to other anchors, disorder shows up in surprising places. Not as punishment, but as the natural outcome of trying to hold life together by ourselves.
Jones gives a pastoral snapshot. A man lost his footing when he shifted his focus away from Jesus to another guide. Confusion followed. When his eyes returned to Jesus, things came back into alignment. The point is not to fear every slip. The point is to remember where wholeness is found. In the Messiah, life holds together. Outside that center, even good things become heavy and scattered.
This is not a call to tighten our grip. It is an invitation to relax our grip and rely on the One who already holds all things together. Faith is not a mood we maintain. Faith is our yes to the living Lord who lives in us. As we walk with Him, order and firmness grow like root and fruit.
Thank you, Dr. Jones, for reminding us that the gospel does not hand us a toolbox and step away. Jesus Himself is the center, the peace, and the order our souls need. In Him, we are steadied. Through Him, ordinary days become livable and bright with purpose.
Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
I have placed you in My Son in whom all things hold together. Walk in Him, rooted and built up, established in the faith. Let the peace of the Messiah rule in your heart. I am not the author of confusion but of peace. Fix your eyes on Jesus, and you will know the order that flows from His life.
You died with Him, and you live with Him. Count yourselves dead to sin and alive to Me. Present your members to Me as instruments of righteousness. I work in you to will and to do for My good pleasure. My power that raised Jesus from the dead is at work in you. I keep you in perfect peace as your mind is stayed on Me.
You belong to a people joined and held together by every supporting ligament. Together you grow as each part does its work in love. My grace supplies what is needed for life and godliness. I am faithful to complete the good work I began in you. Stand firm in the Lord, and let your gentleness be known in every place.
Real-Life Analogy
Think of a zipper on a jacket. When the slider is seated on the track, the teeth line up with a clean pull. Try to zip from the middle without the slider set, everything snags. Life with the indwelling Spirit is like that. Jesus is the true slider at the base. As we start with Him, pieces that once fought each other come together.
A simple practice for a full day. Before opening your inbox, set your heart toward Him. Say, Lord, I trust You to express Your order and calm through me as I work through each message. Then move one item at a time, without rush, letting His peace set your cadence.
Prayer of Confidence
Father, thank You that in Jesus all things hold together. Thank You that I am in Him, and He is in me by Your Spirit. I agree with You that Your peace is my ruling center. I receive the order You have already given in Your Son. I yield my schedule, my words, and my choices to Your life within me. In this union I walk steady, grateful, and at rest. Amen.
Scripture References for the Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture Section
Colossians 1:17; Colossians 2:5-7; Colossians 3:15; 1 Corinthians 14:33; Hebrews 12:2; Romans 6:11-13; Philippians 2:13; Ephesians 1:19-20; Isaiah 26:3; Ephesians 4:15-16; 2 Peter 1:3; Philippians 1:6; Philippians 4:1; Philippians 4:5-9; Romans 8:9-11; Psalm 16:8; Jude 24-25