To finish a thought that I started with the "Puzzle" blog about God holding all things together …

I thought a little more about that and one of the truths that touches my heart the most is that as Christians we TRUST God to hold all things together. In 2 Timothy 1:12, Paul writes, "For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed. I know whom I have believed in and am persuaded that He is able to keep that I have committed to Him until that Day." (KJV) 

We put our faith in him not only to hold things together for us today, but forever. And not just to hold our pieces, but more importantly to hold us!

I remember growing up a in a Southern Baptist church and singing "I know whom I have believed in and am persuaded …" many, if not all, Sunday mornings. Maybe it was the repitition or maybe the sheer power of the Word but somehow those verses were sown deep within my soul. Sometimes we sing verses like those or repeat a scripture and because we've heard it so many times, after a while they start to lose their meaning. 

So for just a moment, pause and think about those words …

"I know whom I have believed." 

That means I know the Christ.  The one who I put my faith in is not just any god.  He is the risen Savior, Son of God.  He is the great "I Am." There is no other god like Him. 

"and am persuaded"

I believe in my heart and have great confidence in Him.

"that he is able to keep that which I have committed"

 I have faith in His ability. I am committed to him by faith!

"unto him against that day."

I believe that he will hold on to me forever.  He is never letting go.  He not only holds the puzzle pieces of my life together, he is not letting go of ME! 

And I believe with all my heart that everything that I have entrusted to his most capable care will be there when this world dissolves like snow.  I believe that he will hold on to me.

I love The Message translation ... 2 Timothy 1:12 "This is the Message I've been set apart to proclaim as preacher, emissary, and teacher. It's also the cause of all this trouble I'm in. But I have no regrets. I couldn't be more sure of my ground—the One I've trusted in can take care of what he's trusted me to do right to the end." 

Oh that I could make that statement. To say with confidence and "no regrets" that no matter what … no matter what people say or what they think or how they view me, that I would stand firm.That everyday I would trust my God to hold on to what I've committed to him not just today but until the end. Well, I have good days and bad days. Sometimes I can honestly and confidently proclaim "I know whom I have believed in" just as Paul did. Then other days, when the puzzle pieces are falling to the floor one by one and the picture is looking less and less like the image on the box I find that I can barely mumble the words under my breath. On those days, I remind myself of the verse in Mark "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" (Mark 9:24)

My hope is that you can confidently proclaim that you know whom you have believed in and are persuaded that he is able to take what you've committed to him until that day!