Sealed

I finally watched Overcomer last month.  I was already bawling just watching the previews, 'cause it's just that kind of movie.  If you haven't seen it, I do recommend it. 

At one point, the female lead was encouraged to read Ephesians 1 & 2, and to write down everything that God says about her in those two chapters, using "I am" statements.  I thought, that's a good idea, and so about a week later, I read chapter one. 

Y'all.  Seriously, even though I had watched it being done in the movie, I was not prepared for how it would feel to write those I am statements.  It was like reading a love letter.  I recommend this, too.

Anyway, Ephesians 1 contains a bunch of wonderful affirmations, but the one that stood out to me the most was in verse 13(b): "Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit."

I am sealed.

I had heard this before, and I had always thought of the seal as it's described, as a mark, identifying me as belonging to God.  Kings would affix their seals to proclamations to signify their approval.  Letter writers would attach their seal to prove the letter was legitimate.  Those are the things I have associated with being marked with God's seal. 

But, I've been doing a lot of sealing lately, which has given me a new perspective.  When I make wooden signs, I seal them to protect them. You can still see the wood underneath, but it's protected from damage.  And the right kind of sealer on a project can really make the characteristics of the piece shine out.  It makes the piece more dimensional, deeper.

I love that picture of me being sealed, by God, against the storms and pressures of life.  They're still there, all the temptations, all the sadness, all the harm, but I... I am protected by that God-seal, and made more beautiful because of it.