Encouragement 11-04-04

 

November 4, 2004
Encouragement for Today

Are You a Salt Lick?
By Susanne Scheppmann, Proverbs 31 Speaker Team Member

Key verse:

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. Matthew 5:13 (NIV)


Devotion:

Traveling along the highway, I gazed at the cattle huddling around the scattered salt licks. I noticed how content the cattle seemed as their long tongues stretched to lick the milky-white blocks of salt.

The Bible verse rose to the surface of my thoughts, "You are the salt of the earth." It dawned on me that God desires me to become a salt lick. Of course, not a hard block of minerals resting in a grassy field, but a solid witness to His power in my life, a place my friends might come for a little spiritual nutrition.

You see, a rancher places a salt lick in the midst of a green-grassy field for his animals. Why? Without the salt, their health deteriorates. Cattle, sheep, horses, even nearby wildlife will seek out salt licks. Occasionally, a natural salt lick appears in the wild. Harsh weather exposes the salty mineral deposit that will draw animals from miles away for a taste of needed nutrients. Animals crave salt. They must have it.

Christ stated, "You are the salt of the earth." What did He mean by that statement?

Jesus desires for us to be spiritual salt in a wild, tempestuous world. He calls us to be a place where hurting people can come for a taste of God's goodness. How does that happen? Just as weather exposes a salt lick in nature, storms in our lives that we weather with faith become the attraction for others. People aching with problems study us when we handle our difficulties with joy and contentment. They will approach us, as spiritual salt licks, with their need for hope. They yearn for an explanation of how we withstand the squalls of life's perpetual problems with serenity.

As they come, eager to discover our secret, we can share how Jesus Christ is sufficient for anything life throws in our path. Psalm 34:8 instructs, "Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him (NIV)."

However, Christ added another interesting dimension to the concept of us being the salt of the earth. We can lose our saltiness and our worth in God's Kingdom. If we allow life's circumstance to make us bitter, we lose our saltiness. If we become a mental martyr, our saltiness vanishes into self-pity. If we lose our saltiness, those who crave the salt of God's Kingdom will look to others, or even worse, taste what temptations the world offers as consolation.

We must guard against anything that may siphon our ability to witness Jesus Christ's peace, love, and joy from our spirits. As we maintain our saltiness, hurting people will come and taste of God's goodness. We become of great value to the Father's kingdom here on earth.

Do you consider yourself a spiritual salt lick?


My prayer for today:

Father, help me to become a spiritual salt lick for others. I want to be a witness of Your goodness to others. When life gets hard, let my life be a testimony for others who are in need of a bit of spiritual nutrition.


Application steps:

Write a prayer asking God to nudge you each time He brings opportunities for you to be a spiritual salt lick for someone else. Place a saltshaker by your telephone as a reminder to tell others of God's goodness in your life.


Reflection points:

Am I thankful for God's goodness in my life?

Who has been spiritual salt in my life?

Have I thanked him or her for this blessing?

How can I bless someone today by showing her God's love in her life's problems?


Power verses:

Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other. Mark 9:50 (NIV)

Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.
Psalm 34:8 (NIV)

But now, up on your feet - I have a job for you. I've handpicked you to be a servant and witness to what's happened today, and to what I am going to show you. Acts 26:16 (The Message)

Then Jesus came to them and said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.' Matthew 28:18-20 (NIV)


Additional resources:

Living Life on Purpose, by Lysa Terkeurst
http://www.gospelcom.net/p31/resources/livinglife.html

Leading Women to the Heart of God, by Lysa Terkeurst
http://www.gospelcom.net/p31/resources/leadingwomen.html

Radically Obedient, Radically Blessed, by Lysa Terkeurst
http://www.gospelcom.net/p31/resources/radical.html

Originally published Thursday, 04 November 2004.

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