“And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.”
With the Shepherd
Jesus describes a double security here, almost redundant in its emphasis, and the repetition is deliberate. First, no man shall pluck them out of my hand. Then, in case that were not enough assurance, no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. Two hands, both described as sufficient, both holding the same sheep securely.
This is a strong word against the anxious fear that your standing with God is one mistake away from being lost, precariously held and easily snatched by some circumstance, failure, or enemy. Jesus does not describe a fragile grip requiring your constant vigilance to maintain. He describes a grip nothing external is able to break.
Notice this security is grounded in the strength of the one holding, not the strength of the sheep being held. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all. The sheep’s safety is not measured by how tightly it manages to hold on. It is measured by the far greater strength of the hands holding it.
Whatever threatens to shake your sense of security today, remember this is not a security you are responsible for maintaining through your own grip. You are held, by two hands described as greater than every threat, and nothing external is able to pluck you out.
Follow His Voice
- Name what currently threatens your sense of security in him.
- Remember the security rests on his grip, not the strength of your own hold.
- Rest today in being held rather than anxiously trying to hold on yourself.
Prayer
Lord, I am held in your hand and the Father’s hand, both greater than anything that threatens me. Let me rest in being held today, not exhaust myself trying to hold on. Amen.
Carry this today
I am not holding on. I am being held.