Salt and Light

January 5

Genesis 9-10

Psalm 4

Proverbs 1:10-14

Matthew 5:1-26

Salt And Light

“You are the salt of the earth…. You are the light of the world…. In the same way, let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:13,14,16 HCSB

Jesus says that we are to be salt and light in the world. We are to be different. The people around us, those who know us well and those who are just acquainted with us, should be able to see a difference in us immediately. The first time my daughter, Emily, swam in the ocean she was about three years old. The first thing she said to me after going under and getting a mouthful of the water was, “Mommy, it takes just like pretzels.” She immediately recognized the saltiness of the water. She recognized that there was a difference between this water and the pool water she was used to swimming in. Salt is used for flavoring, but it is also used for preserving. We should not only provide a better flavor to the world around us, but we should also help to preserve the world from the evil that is so prevalent in our culture.

Jesus also describes us as light. Light dispels the darkness. The world we live in can be a very dark place. Even the smallest light drives out the darkness. We are very fortunate to live near Mammoth Cave and have been there many times over the years. I am always amazed when they turn the lights out during the tour to show us what complete darkness is like. I am not afraid of the dark, but this is always unsettling to me, and I am relieved when the lights come back on. Our world can seem very dark and evil, and if we look around, it may seem that Satan is succeeding in turning out the lights. But we know that is not true, because we are the light of the world. God’s love and righteousness shine through us to a dark world. Let your light shine before men today that they may praise your Father in heaven.