I am the salt of the earth and the light of the world...
Matthew 5:13-16 You are the salt of the earth. But if
the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer
good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are
the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they
light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light
to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that
they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
Joni and
Friends Daily Devotional
September 15,
2010
“Last night, I telephoned the family farm back in Maryland to see
how my sister Jay was doing. She was up to her elbows in pickles! Cucumbers are
ripe off the vine from Jay's garden so she's spending her evenings boiling and
blanching, straining and sealing. I love my sister's pickles, and I think her
secret is... salt. She adds a lot of salt and tells me that it's the best way
to preserve a pickle at its crunchiest, tastiest best.
“Those words go well together - salt and preserve. As Christians,
we act as a salty preservative in this world, infusing godly values into a life
around us. We have the work of restraining evil and advancing good. And just as
salt brings out flavor in food, we can "season to taste" our words
when the world asks us for the reason for the hope that is within us.
"’Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned
with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone’ (Colossians 4:6).
“Preserving good in the world. Flavoring your words with the
Gospel. These are big responsibilities. And remember that God did not say that
you should be the salt of the earth, but that you are. So don't lose your
saltiness, whatever you do today. Lord of the Harvest, You have chosen me for a
special task in this world. Thank You for the privilege of being salt in order
to make people around me thirsty for You. Show me today how I can preserve all
that is good around me and how I can flavor my conversation to make people long
for You and look for You.
Taken from Diamonds in the Dust. Copyright © 1993 by Joni
Eareckson Tada.
God chooses His words carefully – SHOULD vs ARE – it makes a big
difference knowing that He has ALREADY declared us to BE “the salt of the
earth.” The more time I spend in the Word the more I see how important it
is to understand who we are “in Him” – to see those careful selections of words
and phrases – and to see how the saints of old put those truths into practice
in their lives. It’s a challenge, certainly, to walk 100% in that truth –
but it’s important that we try – for our sake AND for the sake of the Kingdom
of God. Are you living as salt in your corner of the world? Are you
a preservative in your realm of influence? Are you bringing the light of
the Gospel into the darkness around you? I hope so! It’s not easy –
but it’s immensely rewarding to know that lives are being saved and
changed! You may not see the evidence of your influence right away – but
God won’t waste anything you do in His name and in His strength – so keep being
the salt – and the light – of the world!
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