By Elin Henderson
“…place me like a seal over your heart, or like a seal on your arm…”
Song of Solomon 8:6a (NLT)
I got hooked on “stamping” right after my daughter was born. I started with making her birth announcements and have been stamping ever since! When you live out in the middle of nowhere and there isn’t a Hallmark to be found for about a 4000 mile radius, making your own cards comes in quite handy! The process is simple. You take a stamp, an etched form, and press it into a substance like ink, then apply it to your choice of surface. The surface now carries the exact replication of the stamp. The ink seals it in.
We, as believers, are sealed with the “Stamp of Heaven.” It has been pressed into us and sealed with the ink of the Holy Spirit. It never fades or wears off. By this seal, God knows His own (II Timothy 2:19) and keeps us unto the day of redemption (Ephesians 4:30). In this way, He is claiming us as His own forever.
We wear this seal or stamp on our heart - - a place that only He sees, and on our arm - - a place where all those around us can see. I’m thankful this seal/stamp is figuratively on our arms and not our forehead or back or some other place that would be difficult for us to see with our own eyes on a normal basis. We ourselves need this reminder frequently of whom we belong to and that we bear the “Stamp of Heaven.”
May we wear this reminder boldly. May it motivate us to show forth His deep love and care for us. May it become a tool to share His love with others.
GOING DEEPER:
1. Understanding that we are eternally sealed and secure in Him is great news for the future, but what does this seal of security mean for us today? How can knowing our security is in Him help us with our day-to-day life in the here and now?
FURTHER READING:
Oakwood’s missionaries Elin Henderson (a registered nurse) and her husband Phil serve as church planters with New Tribes in Mozambique, Africa. Elin is mother to eleven-year-old Callie and nine-year-old Elias.
