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“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.
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