365 Days of the Great Names of God, Day 185: Star

Star

“I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel." (Numbers 24:17 NIV)

My husband and I are big fans of the TV game show "Jeopardy" (and yes, this tells you exactly how exciting we like life to be). The other night while we were watching, I learned a fascinating fact about the North Star: not only is it the brightest star in the Little Dipper, it is also the only star whose position does not change.

Other stars revolve around the North Celestial Pole, but the North Star maintains its position. It is a steadfast star...so steady, in fact, that at one time, sailors used it as a navigational tool.

Oh, friends, Jesus is our North Star. He does not move. He does not shift. He is consistent. And His position in relation to us never changes: He loves us.

"Love," wrote Shakespeare, "is not love which alters it when alteration finds, or bends with the remover to remove: O no! It is an ever fixed mark that looks on tempests and is never shaken; it is the star to every wandering bark whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken."

Jesus, our Star and Best Love Divine, looked on the tempest of the sea and ordered it to be still. He looked on the tempest of sin and ordered it to be submissive. He looked on the tempest of death and ordered it to be silenced. He did all this because our worth is known to Him. We are, in fact, worth everything to Him.

When we have lost our bearings and can no longer tell up from down or east from west, we can look to Jesus. We can turn Scripture about Him over and over in our minds. We can sing songs that tell His story. We can talk to Him in prayer. We can fellowship with friends who lead us closer to Him.

Jesus is our ever-fixed mark. He is our steady star.

And He will lead us home.