“In his right hand he held seven stars” (Revelation 1:16).

Can anything be more personal than holding or being held in someone’s hands? I used to sit with my grandmother in church and I loved to hold her hand, rubbing the wrinkled back and squeezing her fingers. Is there anything more precious than having a child place their hands in yours? It is such a gesture of love and trust.

The opening passage is from Revelation, first chapter, where John is describing the vision of Christ. He writes in verses 12-16: “I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.”

The seven stars are the representatives of the seven churches, possibly angels or church leaders. The point is that he is holding them in his right hand; in all his majesty and power, he is holding the representatives of the churches—in other words—all believers—in his right hand.

There are many ways that God could choose to lead, guide, direct, and protect us. In His sovereignty, he can do anything anyway that he chooses. That he chooses to do so in such a loving personal way tells me how much he values me.

The book of Genesis tells us that God spoke the world into existence, including the earth, sky, sun/moon/stars, plants, and animals. However, when he decided to create man, “the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man because a living being (Genesis 2:7).

David wrote in Psalm 139:9-10 “…if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.”

And Jesus reassured us in John 10:28-29 “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.”

Take some time today to rest in that fact. God has you in His loving hands and He will keep you there, no matter what.

In Christ,

Judy

P.S.: If you would like to talk more about any of these devotions or matters that concern you, please stop by my office, or call or text me at 615-804-3453 to arrange a time, and I will be happy to speak with you.