“You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.” (Matthew 5:13 NLT)
When you get the “midnight munchies,” where do you turn for satisfaction? Ice cream? Cake? Candy? The list is long and inviting, but, with rare exception, the things for which we crave are not healthy, thus, not good for us. On the other hand, bitter foods, such as greens, roots, nuts and herbs, while not on our favorite snack list, can offer some very nutritious and positive options.
Similarly, in our walk with the Lord, often the things that appeal to us most are least healthy for us spiritually. Perhaps that’s why Thomas Watson’s quote jumped out at me when he wrote: “Till sin be bitter, Christ will not be sweet.”
In some ways it’s like breaking up with someone but continuing to text or call them. What’s the point? If the relationship is over, let it die. If you’ve given your life to Jesus, cut off the devil’s access to you. Stop “flirting” with sin. It’s like playing with a rattlesnake and not expecting to get bitten. You’re not strong enough to withstand the enemy’s onslaughts on your own. And here’s a newsflash: you never will be!
We’re never strong enough on our own to stand up to Satan and his devilish emissaries. Our ONLY strength is found in the Holy Spirit’s presence living in and through us. Having walked with the Lord for many years, I’ve often thought doing battle with the enemy of our soul would get easier, and in some ways, it has, but it’s none-the-less a daily process.
Thomas Watson reminds us: “It must not be expected that the devil will let those rest who are laboring to destroy his kingdom.” Perhaps that’s the key to winning the battle! When we’re so focused on pursuit of the Kingdom and accomplishing the purposes of our Savior, giving Satan the time of day is secondary and hardly demands a thought.
Our focus can never be on Satan, but on our victory in Jesus. When we encounter hardships, our thoughts should immediately turn to the problem Solver, not the problem itself. We torment ourselves with worry when worry accomplishes nothing positive.
Among the first verses I committed to memory were Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take.” When we worry, we take things out of God’s hands that rightfully belong to Him. Lack of trust leads to self-reliance which is the recipe for a bitter result.
Implicit in our lack of trust and insistence upon self-reliance is an unwillingness to desire God’s will above our own. In order to put our full trust in God and allow His will to become ours we must understand that what God wants for us is better than what we want for ourselves. As long as we believe God is holding us back or withholding something from us that we really want and/or need, our trust will be crippled and our lives left unprotected from the devil’s attacks.
Problems, hardships, illnesses, setbacks, trials, whatever name you choose, none of these things are final unless we shut the Lord out. Bitterness grows out of self-reliance but can be sweetened by a powerful infusion of the Holy Spirit’s presence into ANY situation. If you’re experiencing a “bitter” time today, please invite the sweetness of the Holy Spirit’s power to fill, empower, and enable you to sense the Lord’s closeness and willingness to walk with you through whatever you’re facing. You CAN trust Him! It CAN have a “sweet” result.
Food for thought.
Blessings, Ed 😊
Walking With Jesus 