Gettysburg Seventh-day Adventist Church

Scripture:  God's Son has all the brightness of God's own glory and is like him in every way. By his own mighty word, he holds the universe together. After the Son had washed away our sins, he sat down at the right side of the glorious God in heaven. Hebrews 1:3 (CEV)
 
Observation:  Upholding. Gr. pher, “to bear,” “to carry,” “to bear along,” “to bear up.” Here there may be the added meaning of movement, purpose, guidance; proceeding with definite intent. Christ is the one who is upholding all things in the entire universe and who keeps the heavenly bodies in their appointed paths. Compare the phrase, “by him all things consist,” that is, hold together (Col. 1:17). Pher is more comprehensive than our English word “consist,” since it embraces the concept of purposeful working, of planning. This definition changes the concept from that of a mere power sustaining the physical universe to that of an intelligent Being who has a plan and is in the process of carrying it out. [The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Volume 7. 1980 (F. D. Nichol, Ed.) (397). Review and Herald Publishing Association.]
 
Application:  It is estimated that there are 400 billion stars in our galaxy, the Milky Way.  Scientists estimate that in the Milky Way alone there are 500 million potential planets, other than the earth, where life can exist. If these numbers are applied to all the galaxies in the universe there could be a staggering variety of planets capable of supporting life.  It is all speculation, but several branches of mathematics, quantum mechanics, and astrophysics have all come to similar conclusions: our universe is just one of many.

        There’s another “universe” just as vast. . . the human brain.  Our brains are remarkably complex objects with a hundred billion neurons, a quadrillion connections, and we still know very little about how this organic super computer operates. But we do know the human brain is the most complicated thing we have yet discovered. It gives us the power to form language and culture, consciousness, the idea of self, the ability to learn, and understand the universe and reflect on our place within it.

        The vast expanse of the universe moves, expands, contracts, all in a uniform, organized fashion.  It is God who holds the universe together.  The vast universe of the human brain is also held by God.  We don’t understand how it happens, how it all works, but know that it does.  So, if God holds the universe together, and He knows everything about how our brain works, doesn’t He also know how your family works, and can’t He hold your marriage together, too?
 
A Prayer You May Say:  Father God, thank You for holding everything under Your hands’ control.  I submit myself, my marriage, and my family under Your control today too.

Used by permission of Adventist Family Ministries, North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists.