Page 40 - Living Light 89

Friday July 11 - Be humble
Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be
first must be the very last, and the servant of all.” Mark 9:35
We live in a topsy-turvy world in which it’s often hard to establish clarity. I am finding that the things I believed to be ‘black’, people are now saying are ‘white’. I guess it’s the fruit of an age in which foundational God-given truths are being ignored or re- interpreted in culturally acceptable ways. Let’s start with the premise that God’s ways and thoughts are beyond ours (Isaiah 55:8-9). His is an upside-down kingdom – one in which you must give to receive, die to live, forgive to be forgiven; and also today’s topic: be last to be first!
It seems quite shocking that, just after Jesus had spoken about his death and resurrection, we find the disciples arguing among themselves about who was the greatest. Could it be that the three disciples given the privilege of seeing Jesus transfigured now viewed themselves as special? But before we cast the first stone, how many times have we come away from a spiritually enlightening meeting only to criticise, judge or engage in meaningless arguments?
Jesus set a child before them – an example of dependency and humility, devoid of hypocrisy, arrogance and pride. The world sees greatness in terms of the number who serve you; however, in God’s kingdom, greatness is seen in the number whom you serve and the joy with which you do it. So, let’s humble ourselves...
Heavenly Father, may I take the lowest place so that when my host comes, he will say to me, “Friend, move up to a better place” (Luke 14:10). Amen.
Saturday July 12 - Be salt
“Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again?”
Mark 9:50
You’ve probably heard the saying, “He’s not worth his salt”. It goes back to Roman times when salt was unbelievably valuable, being used to preserve, enrich and as an antiseptic. A person’s wage was assessed in terms of the salt it could purchase. Jesus makes clear that our value to God is directly proportionate to our saltiness, and if we lose our saltiness we are faced with a profound question: Can we become salty again?
Salt is salt; it is a chemical compound (NaCl, sodium chloride) which cannot be totally lost, but once dissolved its effectiveness is seriously devalued. In similar fashion Jesus declares, “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?” (Matthew 5:13). Our saltiness is found in the imputed holiness that comes through the process of sanctification. Sanctification is the work of the abiding Holy Spirit, outworked through our obedience to God’s word. There is however an ever- present danger, a counter process: the process of de-sanctification.
This happens when we fall into abiding sin, compromise our faith, lose our zeal for the Lord (evidenced by lack of prayer, study, worship and fellowship), and embrace worldly philosophies... Such things dilute our effectiveness, and adversely impact on our witness. But thanks be to God, there is a way to become salty again – it’s called repentance!
PRAYER FOR TODAY
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Father, we bow before you, in recognition that our true worth is found in our saltiness. May we bring your savour to mankind. Amen.
PRAYER FOR TODAY