Sealed by God
During a summer lake trip, I was climbing off a Sea-Doo—sunburned and dehydrated—and set my water bottle on the edge of the dock so I could tie up the watercraft. That’s when it happened.
My dad swung a fishing rod straight into my favorite water bottle.
I scrambled as it hit the surface, my hand outstretched as the bottle began to sink into the watery abyss. As it made its descent, I resigned myself to life without it, and braced myself for a lecture from my Dad, who had warned me to seal it. The seconds slugged by and the prospects of its return seemed dim.
But then, I caught a glint of white in the sunlight. Slowly—almost triumphantly—the bottle bobbed to the surface, completely intact. Turns out, it was sealed so carefully that the lake couldn’t get in.
That image lingered with me. When I later read Revelation, it struck me as an image of what it means to belong to God—completely surrounded, yet sealed and never overcome.
In this passage, the Apostle John describes a wave of judgment sweeping the earth, but those marked by God are protected from its power:
They were told not to harm the grass or plants or trees, but only the people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. (Revelation 9:4 NLT)
The concept of a protective seal echoes throughout Scripture. In Exodus, the Israelites brushed lamb’s blood across their doorposts as an act of trust and marking themselves as God’s own (see Exodus 12:7). The seal didn’t mean they escaped Egypt’s chaos; it meant they were covered in the midst of it. That same pattern of trust and protection reappears in Revelation, where the plagues return, but so does God’s mercy for those who are sealed as His.
The seal reminds me of when God told His people to wear the Shema—the command to love Him with all their heart, soul, and strength—on their foreheads in Deuteronomy 6:4-8. Even today, observant Jewish men wear tefillin—Scripture-filled boxes tied around the arm and head—as a reminder of this passage.
Jesus affirmed this very command and lifted it as the greatest one:
“You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.” This is the first and greatest commandment.” (Matthew 22:37-38)
That kind of love isn’t passive—it’s our response to the One who sealed us first. When we believe His words, as the Israelites did when they marked their doors with lamb’s blood, we show that we trust and love Him, but ultimately, it’s God who seals us.
In the same way, Jesus became our Passover Lamb. His blood marks us as His, and keeps us safe from eternal darkness.
I think back to that water bottle—completely engulfed, yet sealed and not overcome. If you’re feeling surrounded by darkness, remember: His seal still holds.
Let’s pray: Lord we thank You for Your great love—that Jesus shed His blood so that darkness will never overcome us, and we can be with You forever. Speak to us today, and tell us what we may do in reponse to Your love to show You our full love and gratitude. Thank You, Lord.
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Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
