It’s my favorite time of day…the still of the morning. There’s a crispness in the air and I’m waiting for the sun to rise. I absolutely love this time of day. Nobody is up and needing me. The shadows feel like the wings of God surrounding this quiet time of day.
Soon the sun will rise, and the new day will be revealed.
As I began to think about writing today, I thought about designer salt. Yes, you read that right, salt.
Salt is a trend right now. It seems like everyone is peddling a different kind. Different flavor combos of salt. Different types. It feels like all my recipes require a different kind of salt. Kosher, sea, table, Himalayan…the list has become extensive.
Yet, salt is still used for the same purpose…flavor enhancing…and most of the time I prefer the old favorite, table salt. It’s worked forever and still brings the same tasty result with much less confusion than discerning between added flavors and varied coarseness.
Salt is meant to enhance the dish, bring it to life…if you will…but not to be the star of the plate. We all know that too much salt is a very unpleasant experience.
We have become like the world, in that, we have become so obsessed with the different “flavors” of saltiness we find in the church, that we’ve forgotten…salt is to enhance what’s already there, not steal the show.
Nobody wants to eat a heaping tablespoon of pure salt. No, salt is added to things. It enhances them. It helps develop flavor. It’s a layer. Still, the most important thing is that which is being flavored. If the meat is bad, the salt can only do so much to help. When making brownies or other sweet treats, if too much salt is added, what was once sweet becomes unpalatable. But when it’s applied in moderation it brings a balance to the sweetness.
I wonder sometimes if the church (universal) has begun to focus so much on the salt that it’s forgotten the importance of the quality of the thing the salt is enhancing.
The salt of today is things like huge buildings, programs, lights, smoke machines, charismatic preachers, brightly colored children’s ministries, worship celebrities…but what about the content? And much more overlooked, what about the content of the character of those who run these churches?
I’ve been in churches that look wonderful on the surface, yet when you look behind the sparkle you find emptiness, jealousy, poor leadership, lack of character and a myriad of other issues. So, what’s the point?
We each must decide, are we content to be entertained? Are we best served by something that looks good, or something that provokes? Are we in need of a trendy spot or a convicting, God-fearing culture?
I wonder, are we willing to be “plain” …and to let God be the salt? What if it’s you and Him and nothing else? Is that enough for you?
If the end draws near and churches are not around anymore, will you still have a walk with God?
This is the real question. Is church your only time with Him? Fellowship is good, but intimacy is too. We must cultivate a real intimacy with Him if we are to endure. I challenge you today to think about these things. If church was removed, what would you have left? No, I’m not saying to stop going to church, I’m simply saying, the better your intimate life is with Him, the more value you add to the church. The church needs you and your relationship with God.
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth give way and mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; He lifts His voice, the earth melts. The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Come and see what the Lord has done, the desolations He has brought on the earth. He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; He burns the shields with fire. He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Psalm 46
365 Days in the Presence 