“You are the salt of the Earth…” Matthew 5:13a
A verse I’ve heard countless times, but never fully understood. What does it mean to be salty in the world? How does it apply to me? How can I be salty?
“Taste and see that the Lord is Good, blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him.”
A verse I commonly quote but never related to the above verse. Do they relate? I never really thought about it until God put it on my plate.
I recently visited a friend in Tirana, Albania while I was doing missions in Durrës, a city about 40 minutes from Tirana. I was just hanging out with him all day and seeing how he was doing since I had seen him last. At the end of the day I ended up at his church for the service that night. Quite honestly I was tired and didn’t listen much to the translator. But I caught one verse the translator said…Matthew 5:13a…
Like I mentioned I had been commonly quoting “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” I would say it in random conversation. I wasn’t even quite sure where it was in the Bible or the last time I read it or even heard it. But, for some reason it had been on my heart for about 2 or 3 months…
Then, in the midst of that church service in Tirana, Albania, after hearing Matthew 5:13a, God asked me, “Do people get a taste of Me when they interact with you?” Talk about dropping the mic. Seriously though, that was such an awesome question. I didn’t find it to be heavy or burdensome. Nor did I think God was saying that people don’t get a taste of Him while they around me. I think God was throwing it on my radar that people should get a taste of Him every time they interact with me.
How cool that would be to constantly live out? How cool would it be if people around me constantly experienced His presence through me? I am His vessel.
I need and want God to be so evident in my life that people literally taste and see that He is good through their interactions with me.
The second part of Psalm 34:8 says “…blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him.”
I desire to be used by God in a way that makes people feel safe coming to me for refuge and comfort.
Many of my squad mates and squad leaders have been pointing this out in my life since training camp and throughout my time on the race. As I write this blog, I am also reminded of my time in Germany when a man at the seminary spoke into my life saying, “Josh you are a man people can come to and feel safe. The way you speak and act is gentle and welcoming.” I never really thought of myself this way, but it is something I long for as a man of God. It is a personal goal and characteristic that I want to walk in. I’m encouraged that other people see it in me. I also want to inspire others to do the same. So, I leave you with the same question God asked me plus a little more.
“Do people get a taste of who God is when they interact with you? And, are you allowing God to use you as a place of refuge for the people around you?”
