“Are You a Salt Lick?”

By Susanne Scheppmann

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 contented 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? Because without the salt their health deteriorates. Cattle, sheep, horses, even nearby wild life 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 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 who 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 in 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?

Prayer:

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. 

Refection points:     

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

Who has been spiritual salt in my life? Have I thanked them for this blessing?

How can I bless someone today by showing him or her God’s love in their life’s problems?

Power verses:

Mark 9:50, "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." (NIV) 

Psalm 34:8,

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

Acts 26:16, 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.

(The Message)

 Matthew 28:18-20, 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." (NIV) 

© 2004 by Susanne Scheppmann. All rights reserved.

A Sip of Friendship

A Sip of Friendship

By Susanne Scheppmann

Key Verse:

Perfume and incense make the heart glad,

but the sweetness of a friend is a fragrant forest. Proverbs 27:9 (God’s Word)

Devotion:

Watching the orange-yellow sunrise, I sipped slowly on a steaming cup of spiced cinnamon tea. I lounged back knowing a full day of activity, also rose before. I asked myself, “Where and how in the world do I even begin today’s tasks?” I felt the familiar sensation of being overwhelmed flood my tired body and weary soul.   

The phone’s ring jarred me back to attention. Grabbing the phone I heard, “Hi, it’s Lisa. Remember when we ran into each other again in Georgia?” 

I had been racing to another appointment at a convention, when we bumped into each other. We didn’t know each other well, but we both recalled our immediate connection with each other at a different conference the year before. We traded phone numbers and promised to call each other.

Now as I listened to her excitement about what Christ was doing in her life, I smiled to myself. I continued to sip my tea and celebrate with her as she told one story after another of God’s hand in her day-to-day life.

Yes, she was busy, too. Her full life consisted of a husband out-of-work, two small children, and her own career. Plus, her mother was recently diagnosed with a devastating illness. Yet, she bubbled with enthusiasm for God’s continual provision and unexpected blessings.

We talked for a long time. We discussed life, books, and tea. She is a tea aficionado, too. Finally, as I hung-up the phone I drained the last spot of tea from the pot. The sun shone high and bright in the sky. “Wow! The morning is almost gone,” I thought. But somehow I didn’t feel panicky, I felt renewed. The day’s tasks didn’t seem as daunting.

I continued to grin as I realized the tremendous refreshment and joy that phone call delivered to my anxious soul. Little did my friend realize how she encouraged me by telling me about the details of “God moments” in her busy life. I started my own day, not with a dread of all needed to accomplish, but with an anticipation of watching for the God orchestrated moments. Suddenly, I giggled. I realized I had just experienced one. Lisa’s phone call refreshed me! God supplied and refreshed me with a pot of tea and a sip of sweet friendship.

Prayer:

Father God, help me to remember in the busyness of life the value of friendships. To remember you gave us the gift of friendship to encourage one another. And Father, help me to be the type of friend who takes the time to uplift my precious friends.

Application steps: Make a list of friends to call or write. Make a commitment to yourself to make an effort to stay in contact with the friends in your life on a regular basis. Remember friendships are one of God’s important gifts in our hectic lives.   

 

Refection points:     

Do I feel “too busy” to take time for the friendships in my life?

How has God refreshed my life with friendships?

Which of my friends could use a phone call of encouragement today?

Do I watch for “God moments” in my life on a daily basis?

Power verses:

Ecclesiastes 4:10,   “If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!” (NIV) 

Philemon 1:7, “Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints.” (NIV) 

Colossians 4:8, “I am sending him to you for the express purpose that you may know about our circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts.” (NIV) 

 Isaiah 40:1, “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.” (NIV) 

© 2004 by Susanne Scheppmann. All rights reserved.

Sheep Thoughts

Our car came to a complete stop on the winding mountain road. The herd of sheep meandered across the highway. They sashayed their way across the road to munch on a few mouthfuls of grass. The shepherd tried to hurry them across the asphalt, but to no avail.

Although several cars were delayed on their way up to Bryce National Park, no one seemed to mind. The people in the cars enjoyed watching the unexpected wooly spectacle—sheep and their shepherd making their way through life. 

As we waited for the road to clear, my imagination took over. Thoughts floated through my mind—sheep thoughts.

Sheep thought: “I belong to no one.”

The Shepherd says, “You are my flock, the sheep of my pasture. You are my people, and I am your God, says the Sovereign Lord.” (Ezekiel 34:31 NLT) 

Sheep thought: “I am lost.”

The Shepherd says, “For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them.” (Ezekiel 34:11 NIV) 

Sheep thought: “No one cares.”

The Shepherd says, “When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. Mark 6:34 (NIV) 

Sheep thought: “I am afraid.”

The Shepherd says, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (John 10:11 NIV) 

Sheep thought: “This is my shepherd!”

The Shepherd says, “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me.” John 10:14 (NIV) 

 Sheep thought:

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures,

he leads me beside quiet waters,

he restores my soul.

He guides me in paths of righteousness

for his name's sake. (Psalm 23:1-3 NIV)

The road clears and we drive on  . . . life goes on . . .

Seeking the Mystery,

Susanne

Born 700 Years Too Late

It seems, according to our cultural standards, I was born approximately 700 years too late. My body doesn’t fit in 2013. In past cultures, especially renaissance Europe, I might have been a beauty—maybe even a cover girl

I recently read In the Company of the Courtesan by Sarah Dunant. The cover was a famous portrait of Titian titled The Venus of Urbino. The painting portrayed a woman who was the epitome of a beautiful woman of the 1500’s. Sigh…yes, 700 years too late.

 

In the past, curvaceous women were desirable and considered sexy. Classic art reveals the painters thoughts on women—fleshy women were appealing.  

Of course, women then found it difficult to fulfill that image of beauty too. Food was not plentiful. To be curvaceous, meant that you had money and status. You would be able to produce healthy babies. These women were in the upper stratus of society. Most women would be lean, scrawny and scrambling for food.

Now, with bounteous tables and garbage cans overflowing with wasted food, it’s more difficult for women to remain thin. So of course, that's what society demands. The thin at all costs is a product of modern culture during times of plenty. The bane of women—achieve that which is most difficult in whatever culture they are born into. 

But I guess it all evens out in the end.  A quote from In the Company of the Courtesan said something like this,  “As women age, the thin ones wither and turn to leather. The heavy ones become loose and flabby.” So true!

It’s what the Scripture says,  

^\Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. Proverbs 31:30 (NIV)

Seeking the Mystery,

Lord of the Broken Fellowship

Twice.  Twice in 2012 two of my friends in ministry have been dismissed.  An then looking back in 2011, it happened to a family in ministry who I dearly loved.  Going back thirty years, year by year,  I can remember breaks of fellowship.  I cannot figure out what it is about vocational ministry, but it seems to break hearts.

I know, I know.  Satan attacks those in ministry.  I know, I know.  There are always two sides to every story.  But here's the thing as believers we elevate those who are in vocational ministry.  We long to be serving right next to them.  We "heroize" the broken people who fill these positions in churches, para-church ministries, and any type of artistic ministry.  (I made up the word "heroize" by the way.)

How do I know this?  Well, many years ago I longed to be on staff at a very cool  and trendy church.  So I made it happen.  I applied for the job as the Kiddie Kingdom Director.  I was in charge of about 500 little rug rats and their programs.  I'm not much of kid person, except for my own children and now grandchildren.  Anyway, I applied.  I met with the pastor and we both said we'd "pray about it."  Of course, I was hired immediately.  I became a hero by my own manipulation.

The next Tuesday, I got to go as a cool staff person to the very cool and elite staff meeting.  What a joke!  I lasted on the job about 3 weeks.  It was not what I imagined. My heart was embarrassed and broken.

Since then, I have been in vocational ministry for about 15 years in positions that fit my gifts and callings better.  Women's Ministry Director, Christian author and speaker, etc.  Here's what I have learned--all ministry is harder than anyone ever imagines.  There is brokenness of relationships in every church, just as much, if not more so than in the secular world.  We expect so much more out of Christians, but we continue to fail one another.  We break the hearts and fellowship of the very people who were our heroes.

The Apostle Paul wrote,

It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Ephesians 4:11-13 (NIV) (Emphasis mine.)

 "Until we all reach unity." Complete unity will not happen this side of heaven.  So, we will continue to break each other's hearts as we minister.    Thankfully, we serve a God who is the Lord of broken fellowships.  He knows because  he was betrayed by a friend serving in ministry too.  He understands even if we do not. 

Seek the Mystery in 2013, not the ministry.

Embraced by the Father

This book trailer was made by two of my dear friends, Nate Johnson and Dawn Bruner.  It's so beautiful that I just had to share it on  The Mystery and Minstrel.

If you are interested in purchasing Embraced by the Father you can find it on Amazon: Embraced by the Father. (It also available now in e-book form).   It is also available at CBD or  most Christian bookstores.



Seek the Mystery,