Salt of the Earth, Part 3

Salt as a healing agent:

Do you have a wound? Add salt water to it and it will help to cleanse the injury and keep the body safe from infection. Whether you soak in salt water or gargle it, its healing power will go to work instantly.

Salt is vital to the health of our bodies. Without the proper amount of salt we would suffer greatly. God has made our bodies dependent upon salt to maintain optimum health, vitality, and even life itself. Salt helps our bodies fight disease. Our cells need salt to function properly. Salt helps regulate the heart and keeps our blood flowing. It helps our kidneys function properly, and it even helps the body fight stress.

Sometimes we don’t fully see or understand the benefits we bring to others as the salt of the earth. The Body of Christ needs our saltiness to remain free of deception and lies, discouragement and listlessness, carelessness and sin.

The tongue of the wise brings healing. Proverbs 12:18 NKJV
 

Note: One of the ways the accuser of the brethren comes to us is by trying to convince us that we are useless and good for nothing. This lie, if believed, will isolate us and keep us from being involved in relationships and ministries where God wants to place us. Like salt, our presence is vital to the health, vitality, and well being of others.

Salt as a commodity:

Salt is a great benefit to a society. It is one of the essential spices of life. For centuries salt has been highly prized, valued, and traded in the marketplace.

As the salt of the earth, your citizenship in the community and in the country in which you live is invaluable. It is your saltiness that helps to keep society’s values strong, its  laws just, and its honor strong.

A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold In settings of silver. Proverbs 25:11 NKJV

Note: In the grocery store you can now buy soda crackers that are salted on just one side. Jesus does not want you half-salted. Remain fully salted in the place God has you. He wants you to speak, in season and out of season, the words He gives you to say.

Salt as a melting agent:

This winter has been a good reminder of the negative impact ice and snow can have upon a community and our everyday lives. When roads become dangerous and impassable due to ice and snow, cities will often send out trucks to pour salt upon the roadways and make them safe for travel. Salt is used because it can cut through ice and snow, causing it to thaw and melt away. Once the ice and snow are removed from the roads the normal flow of traffic can continue again and activities within the neighborhood can soon return to normal.

At certain times, the Holy Spirit will use us to reach a cold heart that has been frozen in the ice of bitterness, hurt, or unbelief. The power of His divine love and compassion expressed through our care, our understanding, our words, and our prayers can help to thaw a cold life and see it restored to usefulness once again.

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Hebrews 4:12 NKJV

Note: Salt added to an iced over roadway will be an irritant to the ice as it cuts through to the pavement, but it is necessary in order to restore the roadway to a place of usefulness once again. We should not be surprised if our words are not always received with eagerness or appreciation by the person in need of them.

Salt as a softening agent:

It’s a great convenience to have water flowing into our homes without the need of going outside to prime a pump. However, that does not mean that the water coming into our homes is the best water. Hard water can have many negative effects, such as dulling your hair or turning your white clothes gray. Hard water also brings calcium deposits into your pipes, washing machines, and water heaters. 

Add salt to hard water and you turn it into soft water. With soft water bathing and washing is greatly improved, clothes are more gentle, plumbing lasts longer, energy costs are reduced, and the life of your appliances is increased.

 When our words are seasoned with salt they will have the hardedge taken off them and our words will be easier for others to receive. Softened words will be free of harshness, sarcasm, coldness, criticism, indifference, and insensitivity. Salted words will not damage relationships, but restore them; not clog up issues, but clarify them; not dull the spirits of others but help them to shine.

Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. Ephesians 4:29 NKJV

Note: We must learn not to speak in haste, but to wait upon the guidance of the Holy Spirit—speaking His words, in His way, in His tone, in His time. When we speak His words we are giving others the softened water (kindness) of the Spirit, not the hardened water (meanness) of the flesh.

(If you would like to learn more about the many practical uses of salt, you can find a Reader’s Digest article on the internet called the Extraordinary Uses for Salt: Around the House—65 uses are given.)

Comments

[Linda]

Thanks, brother, for those insights.

[Jenny Vass]

I love this series of posts. Thank you for sharing your insights with me.

[Libby Zeigler]

Dear Mr. Lessin,
From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU!!! Today as I was on the DaySpring website I saw your Meet Me in the meadow. WOW!!! I am so excited to sit at Jesus' feet, through the words He has given to you, and read all of your posts - past, present and future! You have been a huge blessing to me, and to the many others, whom I have given cards/gifts to, from you. God has certainly given you an amazing gift with His words! I praise our Lord for you! It is such an incredible blessing to be able to turn on my computer and your posts are right here at my fingertips. Thank you for your faithfulness to our wonderful Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and to us, your brothers and sisters who love to hear what you have to say about our sweet, sweet Savior! I can hardly wait to visit your posts often! Again, I just wanted to say THANK YOU!!! With His love, your Sister in Christ, Libby

[Unoma Okorafor]

Thank you for your powerful lesson on salt. God has used you to bless my life today and lift up my spirit.