Q. What is your only comfort in life and in death?

A. That I am not my own, but belong with body and soul, both in life and in death, to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood and has set me free from all the power of the devil. He also preserves me in such a way that without the will of my heavenly Father not a hair can fall from my head; indeed, all things must work together for my salvation. Therefore, by his Holy Spirit he also assures me of eternal life and makes me heartily willing and ready from now on to live for him.

(Heidelberg Catechism #1)

At the start of the summer, I traveled down south to spend time with my grandparents, a visit I look forward to every year. It is a chance to talk, play card games, which I almost always lose, and enjoy good meals together. My Granny is walking through multiple myeloma, and watching her and my Papaw navigate this season left me with one thought: I want the kind of faith they have. Joy, prayer, and hard work are woven into their daily lives. Several times I thought, “Isn’t she in pain? Aren’t they tired? Wow, they’re so happy.” Their faith shone in ordinary routines while in the midst of unexpected trials.

At that time, I was also going through my own season of loss, and watching them encouraged me and convicted me. I was reminded of the security Jesus’ sheep have in His hands, and I realized that, unlike my grandparents, I had let my own circumstances define me more than God’s mercy and grace.

There is a hope strong enough to shape every part of life: in daily routines, in difficult seasons, and across decades. We see that hope in John 10, where Jesus tells us what it means to belong to Him. My grandparents gave me a glimpse of what it looks like to believe these words.

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” John 10:27-30

Known Uniquely

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” — John 10:27

“I know them.” To be known by our Savior is one of the most precious truths of the gospel. Jesus knows your desires, dreams, fears, and tears more fully than you know yourself. This means that in every circumstance, He understands exactly how it will affect you. Because of who Jesus is, gentle and kind, this is good news.

His voice is not offering platitudes or generic encouragement. He speaks personally, bringing comfort, guidance, and compassion tailored to you. He is not a distant spectator shouting, “Great job, keep going” or “It’s not that bad, you got this.” He walks with you hand in hand, protecting and guiding you through life’s most challenging moments, leading you toward a joy uniquely suited to you.

God does not misunderstand us and therefore loves us wrongly. He does not know us fully and then abandons us. Jesus does not love us superficially. He loves us specifically, attending to our unique needs and the areas of our lives that require His care most.

This strengthens us to face life’s difficulties with courage and peace. We are loved and cared for well, even in the midst of hardship. Listen for His voice in your circumstances, and let the truth that He knows and loves you strengthen your soul.

Boundless Life

“I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.” — John 10:28

Often when we think of eternal life, we focus on the hope of living forever with God, and that is a spectacular truth. There is a perfect, complete, everlasting life to come, a life of unhindered communion with our Savior, a promise that I cling to. Yet eternal life is more than unending existence. It is the reality that there is no circumstance too despairing or too dark that the eternal, living God cannot transform. His sheep will never perish. What may seem and feel like perishing in our lives will only produce life. For the believer, everything works together for our good. Even what the world intends for evil, God will use to bring good, to produce life even from the hardest situations.

What a gift, and it is exactly that, a gift. Jesus says He gives eternal life to His sheep. Our circumstances, whether the result of our choices or events beyond our control, do not change His promise. Eternal life is not earned by us and it cannot be lost by us.

Believer, eternal life is not only a hope for the future. It is a present reality that sustains and empowers us now, giving strength and hope in every moment.

Greater Than

“My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” — John 10:29-30

When we are in the midst of suffering, it can feel as though nothing is greater than the pain we face. It can feel pervasive and constant. Jesus offers comfort in these words. By saying that God is greater than all and that no one can snatch us from His hand, He acknowledges that there are real dangers in this world. Despair wants to claim us. Darkness has power. But God is greater than all of them, and He holds us securely in His hands. The dangers may come, but our victory is certain.

There are trials and difficulties, but they are only shadows and cannot truly claim us. Remembering that God is greater than all allows us to see these challenges in their proper perspective. Do not live as if you are defeated, for that is walking death. We cannot escape suffering in this life, but we can believe in the security of God’s hands more than we believe in the power of the trials we face. You have victory in Christ, and believing it is truly living.

Living Secure

For the believer, circumstances do not define us; belonging to Jesus does. To belong to Him means living securely, even in the hardest seasons. Nothing, not death, life, powers, or anything in creation, can snatch us from His love. Our Father is greater than all, holding us firmly in His hands.

But it is not enough to simply know this; we must believe it to experience the joy, peace, and strength it brings. I knew I belonged to Jesus, but seeing my grandparents live out this truth showed me what it truly looks like to believe it. Over time, He patiently shapes our hearts, helping us understand His mercy, grace, and love more fully. Dane Ortlund wrote, “The Christian life, from one angle, is the long journey of letting our natural assumptions about who God is, over many decades, fall away, being slowly replaced with God’s own insistence on who He is. This is hard work. It takes a lot of time and a lot of suffering to believe that God’s deepest heart is merciful and gracious, slow to anger.”

Belonging to Jesus is not just a doctrine to affirm, but a reality to believe, live, and enjoy. May God give us the strength to comprehend what it means to belong to Him, and may He continually lead us deeper into understanding His love and care.