Colossians 1:17 (God holds the Earth Together)

Colossians 1:17

He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.

Who is it who keeps the whole world spinning? Who has caused all the grass to grow? Who has sent rain to nourish the flowers? Who pulls and pushes the tides across beaches? Who bends and breaks the waves of the seas? Who sends sunlight down below to strengthen the ocean's coral reefs? Who beckons trees to rise and stand tall? Who placed the rocks to form mountains and valleys? Who is the creator and sustainer of all the earth? It is God!

God created the heavens (the stars, the planets and the comets) and He created the earth (and every animate and inanimate thing on it). God's creation and His works are wonderful (Psalm 92:5). There is no being higher or lower (no man or mother of nature) who can take any credit for what God has done on earth (John 1:3). He created everything in seven days, and He called His creation good (Genesis 1). Hear what the Psalmist wrote of God and His creation in Psalm 33 from verses 6 to 9:

By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,

    their starry host by the breath of His mouth.

He gathers the waters of the sea into jars;

    He puts the deep into storehouses.

Let all the earth fear the Lord;

    let all the people of the world revere Him.

For He spoke, and it came to be;

    He commanded, and it stood firm.

God made everything on earth, and He made you as well (Genesis 1:27). We should praise God, for we are "fearfully and wonderfully made," because God's "works are wonderful," (Psalm 139:14). We, who are believers, should respect ourselves and cherish our bodies, because they were carefully designed by our Creator. It is wise for us to remember that Scripture says, "Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own," (1 Corinthians 6:19). Our bodies do not belong to us, so we, as believers, should not scorn them, hate them or regret them. We were knit together in our mothers' wombs, by God's hands (Psalm 139:13). We are a beautiful part of His creation.

The same hands that designed every fish and bird
also designed you (Genesis 1).

Since God is the sustainer for all the earth, what is His will for this world? Sadly, His will is...to destroy it.

God made everything perfect, but we, as human beings, scorned our Creator, and now we, as well as everything on this earth, are doomed to die (Romans 5:12). The world is passing away; it's dying (1 John 2:17). Scripture says that this world and everything in it is subjected to futility and "frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God," (Romans 8:20-21). So the world is dying and decaying due to sin, but it can be liberated from its futility through the children of God. How are the Children of God going to help save the planet? It will be by their preaching of the Gospel, and through this God will save the world and everyone in it who believe in Him (1 Corinthians 1:21). The earth we know now, though, will be destroyed, but not by water or rising tides, (Genesis 9:13-16). This earth will be destroyed by fire from heaven; by the power of God (2 Peter 3:11-13). After the world is destroyed, God will bring down from heaven a new world that will never perish or rust (Daniel 2:35). God will one day bring forth a new heaven and a new earth (Revelation 21:1). In this new earth there will be no more sorrow or pain, "for the old order of things has passed away," (Revelation 21:4). 

The Lord says, "See, I will create new heavens and a new earth.
The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind," (Isaiah 65:17).

Yes, this world is dying, but it is because of God's will, and it is for His glory.

While we have this earth, we should care for it, as is our duty. God told human beings to, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground," (Genesis 1:28). We are to be caretakers of God's creation; every plant and every wild beast. It is written, "The righteous care for the needs of their animals, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel. Those who work their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies have no sense," (Proverbs 12:10-11). The earth is temporal, but it is our domain, and God has entrusted it to us.

Wouldn't it be nice, if we could run the world? Yet, it is good and perfect that God is in control of the earth (Psalm 18:30). When we look at the earth, we must remember that it is in God "all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together," (Colossians 1:16-17). He keeps the world spinning! For this goodness, let us praise Him!

Let all creation sing in wonder

Every sea, every creature, every star

You opened up my eyes to wonder

What a vision, what a wonder You are

Let every rock cry out

Let every knee bow down

You opened up my heart to wonder

What a love, what a wonder You are

- Newsboys

Sources

• The Bible (New International Version)
• Open Bible Info: Beauty of Earth
• WWUTT: The Environment
• Newsboys: In Wonder