“In Him (Christ) you also trusted, after heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory” (Ephesians 1:13-14 NKJV).
After several verses of the wonders of what God has done for us, Paul says that because I trust in Christ, I have been sealed with the Holy Spirit.
Personal seals are not used much anymore, but I do have a seal with my initials on it. Sometimes I melt some red wax and press the seal into the wax to secure a letter and show that it came from me. Seals were once used to indicate authority, authenticity or ownership, and occasionally still are.
God doesn’t use wax and a brass stamp, but He does mark me as His very own child. The Holy Spirit stamps me with His divine character and an inner assurance of His presence. He convicts me of sin, comforts me when I’m in need, reminds me of God’s Word, assures me when I doubt. He fills me with character traits that I otherwise don’t have, gives me wisdom in tough situations, helps me pray, and keeps pointing me toward Jesus Christ. In a multitude of ways, He affirms to me that I belong to God, not just right now but for ever.
I know and appreciate God’s ‘red wax’ — but today what I love the most is His joy. No matter how difficult life can sometimes be, His joy is inside me like a bubbling artesian spring. And I know it is from God because the flow is the strongest when I least expect it. How can a person be joyful during sickness, pain, deep sorrow, grief and loss? Joy in the tough times makes no sense, but the joy of the Lord is like a tune that gets stuck in your head. No matter what, He keeps singing — and filling me with assurance that God loves me, is in control, and I can relax and anticipate His best for my life.
Of all the delights God offers, His joy has to be near the top of my ten best list!
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