Don't Mess with God's Children

Today's Reading: Exodus 12:21-30

Living alone can sometimes be a scary proposition. Things really do go bump in the night and sometimes that kinda freaks me out. Most of the time however, I'm not afraid of living alone. I feel confident in the neighborhood where I live, the locks on my doors, the security lights around the perimeter of my house, and the good-heartedness of most people. More importantly, there is the protection of God that fills me with peace as I lock the doors each night, turn out the lights, and crawl under the covers.

In Exodus 12, God instructed the Israelites to mark their doorways with the blood of their Passover lamb. The final plague was about to be enacted on the Egyptians who would lose all their firstborn children. The blood was a physical identification with the Lord so that as He swept through the land to strike down the Egyptians, He would "pass over" the Hebrews homes and their children would be spared. There must have been great peace for them knowing that God had given them a way to identify with Him and thus protect their families from the calamity that was to come.

I often think about this story when I open my front door. I have the sign to the right hanging on my door. It's not at all the same thing as the Passover blood the Hebrews used...and there is nothing mystical or magical about this plaque. But I pray that God's spirit pervades my home and that it is a place of peace and acceptance for all who step through the door.

And I do like to think that it may give Satan pause to consider before he thinks about wreaking havoc on my home. If it doesn't, then I guess he is taking his well-being into his own hands. I'm pretty certain my Father doesn't like for His children to be messed with!

- Holly Barrett