Table Ornament or Seasoning - Daily Devotional July 4th 2009

Daily Bible Reading Plan - 1 Samuel 16, Isaiah 60, Matthew 5

Table Ornament or Seasoning (Matthew 5:13)

In Matthew chapter 5 the Bible likens us to salt which at first might seem a little strange but at least the next time someone says, "wow you are kinda salty today" you can agree with them. For the longest time I wondered why the Bible would call me salt, until I decided to dig a little deeper and understand the qualities of salt.

Salt has so many qualities when used properly. Salt can be used to disinfect and heal wounds. It can be used to cleanse things. Salt can be used for safety measures on slippery roads. My favorite though is that salt can be used to season foods to make them more flavorful. As you look at all of these qualities the one thing that makes them work is the salt must be applied to that which it is to affect. If the salt never gets applied properly to the thing you want it to affect than it just sits it the container or in the salt shaker being nothing more than a table ornament.

As Christ followers we are to have the qualities of salt. We should be helping heal wounds, getting people cleansed or to live righteous. We should be actively getting involved in peoples lives and the community so that the journey for people is much more clear and alot safer. We should also be getting in peoples lives and seasoning them with the love of Jesus. Just like salt though we too must apply ourselves to that which we want to affect. To many times we get saved (realize we are salt) but stay in our container or shaker and are nothing more than a pretty table ornament (wasted space).

The last part of the verse though is what we really need to grasp. It says at the end of this verse that if salt looses its qualities than it is good for nothing and should be thrown out onto the ground and trampled udder peoples feet. Wow think about that for a minute! If we are not out influencing people for righteousness or getting around people and affecting them with the love of Christ than we are good for nothing either. We are just a table ornament and not seasoning.

Think about today and how you can get out and spice things up!

Tomorrows Daily Bible Reading Plan - 1 Samuel 17, Isaiah 61, Matthew 6

Dream Big
Ben