{"id":50067,"date":"2024-02-27T22:16:14","date_gmt":"2024-02-28T03:16:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.joanneviola.com\/?p=50067"},"modified":"2024-02-28T06:54:39","modified_gmt":"2024-02-28T11:54:39","slug":"held-together-lets-have-coffee","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.joanneviola.com\/2024\/02\/held-together-lets-have-coffee\/","title":{"rendered":"Held Together {{Let’s Have Coffee}}"},"content":{"rendered":"

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I try to turn to Scripture every morning. There is something about the early mornings, Bible reading, and coffee that brings a peace and settledness over my soul.<\/p>\n

No reading is ever the same. There isn’t any Scripture which cannot fall new and fresh. Perhaps it is why years ago I learned to pray and ask the Lord to speak to me through His Word.<\/p>\n

And it still amazes me that He shows up each morning. Like yesterday as I read a most familiar passage, Colossisan 1:15-20. It was verse 17 which practically leapt off the page:<\/p>\n

“He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.<\/span>” <\/em><\/p>\n

The AMPC words it this way: “And He Himself existed before all things, and in Him all things consist (cohere, are held together).” <\/span><\/p>\n

It was the word “cohere” that had my attention.\u00a0 I loved that impression. We are parts being held together to make something larger.<\/p>\n

The world and society seem to be in such chaos everywhere. So much is unsettled, unknown, unsure, and unstable.<\/p>\n

Yet we need not be this way at all.<\/p>\n

God holds our lives, our situations, our churches, and our communities together. We are all a part of something bigger, bigger than ourselves.<\/p>\n

We always tend to read this verse, taking it to mean He is holding all creation together. And He is. But yesterday it fell so differently as I read the word \u2018cohere\u2019.<\/p>\n

Our lives and situations are not random individual occurrences. We need to remember they all come together for a larger picture. And unfortunately, we don\u2019t see the bigger picture, we see a small fragment. That\u2019s what makes life so challenging – it requires faith and trust.<\/p>\n

None of us like not seeing or knowing the big picture. I am not so sure we even like these opportunities which require faith and trust. BUT \u2026 when we see the results, we often say we are glad and would do it all over again.<\/p>\n

Let’s exercise faith and trust today,
\nfor we are are being held together by His design and purposes,
\nall for His glory.<\/p>\n

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In her post, 4 Lesser-Known Women of the Bible<\/a><\/span><\/strong>, Ashley Rowland reminds us that even a quieter and lesser known life can have a lasting impact. May we be faithful to the Lord even when we don\u2019t see the influence our lives may be having on those around us.<\/p>\n

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Come, sit a spell. Bring your coffee, your posts, and your thoughts. If you link up, kindly visit those who have drawn up a seat around you.<\/p>\n

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You are invited to the Inlinkz<\/strong> link party!<\/p>\n

Click here to enter<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n