The sweet taste of Jesus

Today’s scripture:

“Oh, taste and see that the Lord  is  good; Blessed  is  the man  who  trusts in Him! Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him. (Psalm 34:8, 9)

My friend Oscar Fuentes (another brother in Christ devoting his life to the Lord) often would tell me that we as followers need to have the sweet taste of the Lord Jesus. When someone you meet or encounter in any way, especially if it's confrontational, are they going to have a taste of bitterness or anger or anything not of God? Or, are they going to notice that extra flavor of life and love that can only come from the Lord Jesus?

As we go through these few topics that Jesus talks about on the Sermon on the Mount, we will see how Jesus shows His loving-kindness throughout this series.

Get out your bible and go to Matthew 5:13-16. In this passage Jesus says we are a huge influence in this world by being salt and light of the earth. v.13“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men."

We, as christains and followers of Jesus are salt. We are full of the love tasting flavor of our Lord! But notice the warning. He says if you loose your flavor how can you be any good to someone. This is the same concept where in John 15:5 He says He is the vine and we are the branches and a part from Him we can do nothing.

How can we stay connected to Him and not loose our flavor? Well, the answer to that is obvious and simple. Spend time with your Lord Jesus! Spend time with Him every day in His word letting Him speak to you and thanking Him. Come to Him with humility and being volnrable and just open yourself up exposing all of yourself to Him. Be honest with Him and call out your needs as they truly are. Not needs of finances or material things, but your spiritual needs as you practice the first step of your life in Christ which is what we read about yesterday, being poor in spirit!

Now, Jesus goes on to say that we are the light. v.14 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden." Like it or not, knowing it or not, the truth is people all around are watching the saints and observing your actions and attitudes. I remember before I came to Christ, I watched others who professed to have faith in Jesus. I watched because I needed hope. I wanted what they had. I wanted Jesus to do in me what I was seeing in them, peace, love, compassion, mercy and joy. We are a light to this world as a lighthouse is to the fog on a raging storm on the sea showing the way home of safety and peace.

These two ideas of being salt and light in this world are actually used as an influence to people. This world is filled with hurting people. People stuck in bondage of addictions, depression, hopelessness, death of loved ones, diseases, the demonic forces from drugs and other darkness. We need to be a good influence to these people in places filled with such things. But, before we can be that, we need to stay connected to the vine!

Reflection:

This message, like all the others I write, is mainly for me. I am preaching to myself. When we get caught up in the moment of passion of anger, fear, rage, depression, or anything else, it is very difficult to maintain God-likeness. But the fact of it is, we have been bought with a high price. We are not our own anymore. We gave that up when we came to Christ. We gave it up because we knew we needed Him. Don’t forget the price He paid for you. Live as if it cost Him everything because it did!

Challenge:

Are you salt and light to those people around you? Like it or not, people are going to be taking bites out of you through various ways of communicating with you or encountering you in some way. Facebook, conversations, email …etc. When they walk a way, are they going to have the sweet taste of Jesus left with them, giving them encouragement and hope? Be salt and a light to them. Search out someone in need of hope today and give them Jesus!

-Doug McGowan