Marked by the Owner

Bible Reading: Ephesians 1:11-14

Daniel’s favorite part of visiting his uncle’s ranch was horseback riding with his older cousin Isaac. Today they were riding out to round up any stray cattle they found.

After a half hour of riding, Isaac spotted a few cows wandering off in the distance. He and Daniel trotted over to the stray cows for a closer look. “Only one of those cows is ours,” said Isaac.

“How do you know which cow belongs to you?” asked Daniel. “They all have yellow ear tags.”

“The cows that belong to us have our brand printed on their ear tags,” Isaac explained. “Ours is the W with the lines on the top. The others belong to our neighbor. His brand looks like a U with two dots above it.”

“Oh, I see the difference now!” said Daniel. “I guess the W stands for your last name—Whitman!”

“Yep, you’re right!” said Isaac. “My great-grandfather came up with that brand, and it’s been in our family ever since. A long time ago cattle were marked with a branding iron in the shape of our brand. They’d make the end really hot and then press it against the cow’s hide. It permanently burned our brand onto the sides of the cows that belonged to our herd.” The boys herded the cow back toward the herd and headed for home.

That night, Daniel told his Dad about his day with Isaac. “Branding is a good way to keep track of the cattle,” said Dad. “But did you know you are branded too? When you trusted Jesus as your Savior, the Bible tells us the Holy Spirit came into your heart. The Holy Spirit is God’s mark on you that shows you belong to Jesus. He identifies you as a member of God’s family and guarantees you a place in His eternal kingdom.”

“Can other people see God’s mark on me?” asked Daniel.

“Not in the same way you can see the brand on a cow’s ear tag, but as the Holy Spirit works in your life, He makes you more like Jesus. When others see His love in your words and actions, they’ll know you belong to Him.”

Daniel smiled. “I’m glad I’m part of God’s herd!” -Kendra Angle

How About You?

Do you have God’s mark on you? You do if you know Jesus. All those who trust in Him have been branded by the Holy Spirit, who identifies us as God’s children and works in our lives to make us more like Jesus. How has He been working in your life lately? Has He been teaching you to have a good attitude, speak kindly, or show others respect? His presence in your life shows you are marked by your Owner—Jesus.

Today’s Key Verse:
2 Corinthians 1:22 [God] set his seal of ownership on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. (NIV)

Today’s Key Thought:

You belong to Jesus