How All Things Connect in Christ
By Dean Collins
As I continue to read the last five chapters of Psalms, I am struck by how all things connect or come together in Scripture.
If you have watched many movies or streaming series, then you know a common pattern is to reveal how things from someone’s past and present are all connected. Usually, there is some sudden “aha” moment when the viewer sees how things fit together in their lives and sometimes even in the universe. And that is also what we come to realize as we read more and more Scripture. What didn’t used to make sense becomes more and more connected.
The truth is that Scripture gives us many clues about how it all fits together in God’s big story, which begins in Genesis 1 and ends with the promise of the return of Jesus. The Alpha and Omega will renew and restore heaven and earth to how God intended things to be for us and for all of creation before we messed things up.
The psalmist, of course, did not have the full picture of God’s master plan of redemption, yet he knew enough to know that God was worthy of all praise. In Psalm 148, the psalmist calls for all of creation to praise the Lord. Angels, the sun and moon, all the stars, the highest heavens, and the deepest oceans are all called to bring praise to God.
As the psalm continues, we are reminded that God established His creation to exist forever: “And he established them forever and ever; he gave a decree, and it shall not pass away.” Because of the eternal nature of God and His plan for all of creation, the psalmist calls for the great sea creatures, the weather patterns, trees, livestock, creeping things, and all the birds to praise God. The One who formed all things and has a plan for every aspect of creation is worthy of praise.
We know that after God created the universe, He then chose to create mankind in His very image and placed Adam and Eve in His perfect garden, even giving mankind dominion over the earth. But sin separated mankind from God and began a cascading damage to all of God’s creation. Yet our loving Creator sent His Son, Jesus, to redeem and restore all that was broken. And His promise to His followers, which is well documented in Scripture, is that He will one day return, bringing heaven and earth together and renewing all that is broken.
The response of the redeemed of God, according to Scripture, is that we will join in a marvelous declaration of praise. In Romans 11:36, Paul declared: “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.” Not only here, but also in Colossians, Paul reminds us that all things are held together by Jesus: “For by him 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. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”
This is why, when we read Revelation, where John describes what Jesus revealed to him, we see and hear praise and worship of our Lord over and over again. Jesus has clearly said that He is coming back. And the images we find in the latter chapters of Revelation reveal a renewed world where we will live with Jesus in a renewed heaven and earth: “And he who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’”
Earlier in Revelation, John penned these words: “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”
So it is all connected. We join with the psalmist in praise to the Lord and with all who will join us in the new creation, where we will live with Jesus forever!
Jesus, we lift our voices in praise to You. We join with all of creation to declare that You are worthy of all praise, glory, and honor, now and forevermore! Amen and amen.
Your Time with God’s Word
Psalm 148; Romans 11:36; Colossians 1:16–17; Revelation 4:11, 21:5 ESV
Photo by Pexels
To receive daily posts delivered directly to your inbox, complete the form at the bottom of our home page.
