My family enjoys nice tasting food. Despite a few stand out failures, I can usually deliver on this, but recently we ran out of one small ingredient - salt.
I had almost bought a new packet of salt at the supermarket but was sure I had a refill at home, so I left it. That night as dinner was being served, I searched the cupboard for the refill pack but to no avail. There was no salt and our side dish of poached eggs tasted rather bland.
More than just flavour
There are some foods like hot chips that just seem to scream for the flavour of salt. Salt can even enhance sweet food like salted caramel for example.
It is good for other things too. According to Food Reference Expert Bethany Moncel salt is a: preservative; a flavour enhancer; a colour enhancer; texture enhancer; nutrient source; and a binder. Basically it is vital to our survival.
Healing in the water
As I opened my Bible to 2 Kings the next morning, I was amused to find that the first passage I laid my eyes on was about salt. What was God trying to tell me?
The scene was set during the time of the prophet Elisha. To give you the basic idea, the people of the city were baffled. Their town was well situated with everything as it should be, but the water was bad and the land was unproductive for no apparent reason.
The people of the town approached Elisha in regards to this problem. Their crops were suffering and they couldn't understand why.
In response, Elisha said, "bring me a new bowl." He told them to put some salt in it, then he went to the spring and threw the salt into the water saying, "This is what the Lord says: 'I have healed this water. Never again will it cause death or make the land unproductive.'"
As promised, the water was cleansed and the land became productive again and has remained pure to this day according to the word Elisha had spoken, (paraphrased from 2 Kings chapter 2 verses 19-22).
Salt of life
When I think about different areas of my life, there are those that stand out as flourishing and others that could use a little help, or a little 'salt'. The preparation has been done, the 'soil' is good, the circumstances around them are all as they should be, all that's needed now is for God to come and touch it and make it salty, bringing flavour, health and life to it.
You may, right now, be thinking of areas in your life that feel stunted, lacking life and vitality. Maybe those areas need some salt shaken on them in the form of prayer.
By making an effort to pray for God's help in these areas, he can add flavour and prevent decay, enhance the sweetness, colour and life so that when the time comes for these areas to flourish, they will be full of vitality and health straight from the hand of God.
Be the salt-seasoning
It is not just the 'areas' in our lives that need salt, salt begins with who we are in Christ. Just as a kind word or a smile from someone lifts your spirit and gives you joy, when we are full of God's saltiness, we can't help but affect others with it.
You'll be glad to know, buying salt was high on my agenda the following day and our food once again had a full-bodied flavour that made everyone happy. If that food looses it's saltiness, well - it just won't be worth eating now, will it.
"Let me tell you why you are here. You're here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavours of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness?" (Matthew chapter 5 verse 13 MSG)
Rebecca and her husband Tony, have four children and live on the Sunshine Coast, Australia. Rebecca loves writing children stories, interest articles and teaching piano. She is grateful for a God who loves us.
Rebecca Moore's previous articles may be viewed at www.pressserviceinternational.org/rebecca-moore.html