We lost our dog a few weeks back and it takes me off guard the number of times a day I miss him, watch for him, think about feeding him. He was a golden retriever – an amazing and gentle dog although he was fiercely loyal to me. There were only a couple of times I saw him get aggressive and that was when I was in a threatening situation, either from another dog or by people. I could trust his judgement on all counts; If he did not like you – then there was a problem.

I did not know this about golden retrievers but 1 in 3 will be lost to an internal bleed, his brother died the same way a couple of years ago. What was horrific this time was that Buster actually bled out physically – in the last couple of days before he passed, every time he urinated it was straight blood. To look outside and see pools of blood on the white snow was rather startling and hugely unsettling.

On his last day he had gotten up a couple of times in the night and could not make it back in very well. In the dark we had no idea what had happened until the morning. When the sun came up and we looked outside, it looked like a mass murder had happened in our front yard. Buster had been unable to hold his urine at this point and while there were huge pools of blood, there were also streams and trails of blood all over the yard. Trails of red all over the white snow. It was horrific and gut wrenching.

The first thing I did after we came home from the vet was go to the yard and start shoveling snow over top of the blood, covering it up so I would not have to see it. I was about half way done, tears streaming down my face, when I heard God gently say to me:

“I know about blood.” He repeated it a couple of times.

I pondered what He meant and after talking with a few other people this is some of our thoughts:

God knows all about blood.

God was the creator of blood – He knows it well.

He was the one who said:

“Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.” (Hebrews 9:22) and

“the wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23)

The shedding of blood in the above scripture refers to death, not just a bleeding wound.

But Romans 6:23 above is not complete:

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Jesus died on the cross, shedding His own blood, giving His life for the sins of mankind. It did not matter to Him who they are – all mankind. Jesus death was the ultimate blood sacrifice, a one-time solution for a whole world of sinners (you and me).

This is why Easter is so important – it is the annual remembrance of the sacrifice of Jesus.

Yes God knows blood.

Jesus blood sacrifice washed our sins away – making a person as clean as snow. Ah, now you get it! My shoveling the white snow on top of the blood was a physical portrayal of what Jesus had done for us – making us white as snow.

God knows about the blood:

The LORD said, "What have you done? Listen! Your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground.” Genesis 4:10

Shed blood is known by God, He told me so that day I was mourning Buster, He tells us so in His Word - it is important to Him. When Cain murdered his brother Abel in the Bible – God said his blood cries out to Him from the ground.

Nothing goes unnoticed before God. You might wonder does God see, care about the loss of loved ones, about your life's trials and sorrows – Oh He knows and He cares.

This week we have had some really warm temperatures and the snow has been melting, I was nervous if the blood in the yard would show back up.

While the actual red blood did not show up, there are spots where the snow has diluted it and you can tell it was there. God spoke again.

We dilute Jesus’ blood – all the time.

Every time we try to do life our way, we dilute the blood.

Every time we make decisions on our own without consulting God, we dilute the blood.

Every time we rely on our own common sense, our abilities, our finances, our strength – we dilute the blood. Every time we think we know better than God - we dilute the blood.

God hates diluted blood.

When Jesus died on the cross the blood ran red, bright crimson red – a startling contrast to the blackness of the sin of the world. He did not need to water it down to make it go further. It was a done deal – it was finished.

We do not like to look at blood – it offends us, but it does not offend God.

God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit took care of the sin problem of the world for all people, all people groups (whether they choose to believe it or not). God did not need our help.

Why then do we think we can live our life our own way, without God’s help and think we know better? We dilute the blood.