Be Salt and Light

“Be salt and light” was the third word I hear from the Lord recently. A small still voice as I thought about the post Colin put on his Facebook note concerning their Christmas adventure to minister to the homeless. The boys minus my son Scott stopped by Christmas night to borrow my old boom box before they headed downtown to see what they could do in the name of Jesus. The plan was to show up where the homeless hang out and feed a few people, maybe dance, thus the boom box. They hoped to pray for or with some of the men they might meet. I love these guys and was not disappointed when Colin posted last night. God does speak to us. He desires to do so.

And from that post of Colin’s came a question to me. Again, what will I do with it, the it being what God gives me? His imperative lest I not draw the conclusion myself… “be salt and light.”

The word to me came in context of art, art ministry and how the Lord might use that. And so know I can tell the story of the woman from Illinois with no home but a dream. I have written an encounter with this homeless woman into a poem. Truth is I am being shaped by the women I meet at the shelter too, like Colin was by the man Christmas night. Like Colin I know I can be their voice. That is something Sara Groves suggested at her concert when she asked her audience to consider the plight of the needy, to help, to give, to be the voice of the oppressed and hurting.

Recently my pastor suggested we make our families larger, extend that to the church, pull up our tent pegs and enlarge our tent. That is my prayer for my church as I enter the new year, that and the task of speaking truth to people in love.

As I looked up the reference to the image of “enlarging our tents” I find it in Isaiah 54 along with the first word spoken to me in the series of utterance that the Lord has blessed me with as I seek His face and his will for my life at this intersection.

Now He has my attention.

Matthew 5:13 - 16
"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”

I have had a heaviness in my heart, a burden that hasn’t been lifted, for years now. In the spirit of this verse it rages against the lies of the enemy and speaks truth, “be salt and light.” And I often fall back in dismay and look at the ruins of a life of service I once knew. “Be salt and light” breathes life into a dream, it awakens hope, it implores justice, mercy and reconciliation. It longs for wholeness. I know the source of the message and I believe what He says to me is not in vain.
Isaiah 54

The Future Glory of Zion

1 "Sing, O barren woman,
who never bore a child;
burst into song, shout for joy,
you who were never in labor;
because more are the children of the desolate woman
than of her who has a husband,"
says the LORD.
2 "Enlarge the place of your tent,
stretch your tent curtains wide,
do not hold back;
lengthen your cords,
strengthen your stakes.
3 For you will spread out to the right and to the left;
your descendants will dispossess nations
and settle in their desolate cities.
4 "Do not be afraid; you will not suffer shame.
Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated.
You will forget the shame of your youth
and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood.
5 For your Maker is your husband—
the LORD Almighty is his name—
the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer;
he is called the God of all the earth.
6 The LORD will call you back
as if you were a wife deserted and distressed in spirit—
a wife who married young,
only to be rejected," says your God.
7 "For a brief moment I abandoned you,
but with deep compassion I will bring you back.
8 In a surge of anger
I hid my face from you for a moment,
but with everlasting kindness
I will have compassion on you,"
says the LORD your Redeemer.
9 "To me this is like the days of Noah,
when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth.
So now I have sworn not to be angry with you,
never to rebuke you again.
10 Though the mountains be shaken
and the hills be removed,
yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken
nor my covenant of peace be removed,"
11 "O afflicted city, lashed by storms and not comforted,
I will build you with stones of turquoise,
your foundations with sapphires.
12 I will make your battlements of rubies,
your gates of sparkling jewels,
and all your walls of precious stones.
13 All your sons will be taught by the LORD,
and great will be your children's peace.
14 In righteousness you will be established:
Tyranny will be far from you;
you will have nothing to fear.
Terror will be far removed;
it will not come near you.
15 If anyone does attack you, it will not be my doing;
whoever attacks you will surrender to you.
16 "See, it is I who created the blacksmith
who fans the coals into flame
and forges a weapon fit for its work.
17 no weapon forged against you will prevail,
and you will refute every tongue that accuses you.
This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD,
and this is their vindication from me," declares the LORD.