The key to longevity as a disciple of Christ is your personal relationship with Him - it must be the center point for you. Not public work, activity, charity...nothing else. All these good things will naturally flow from a disciples life, but they aren't the main thing.
2 Kings 2:19-22 tells an interesting story which helps illustrate this point.
"Then the men of the city (Jericho) said to Elisha, "Please notice, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees; but the water is bad, and the ground is barren."
And He said, "Bring me a new bowl and put salt in it. So they brought it to him.
Then he went out tot he source of the water, and cast in the salt there, and said, "Thus says the Lord: 'I have healed this water; from it there shall be no more death or barrenness.'" So the water remains healed to this day, according to the word Elisha which he spoke."
- From the outside, the external appearance, the city looked great, it's "situation was pleasant". It's what was inside that was dead and barren. We can't be content to hide behind a pleasant exterior when we are needing to be healed back to a place of life and fruitfulness again.
- A new bowl is needed. God is always doing a new work, and Christ came to do the ultimate new thing in making us over into new creations (2 Cor. 5:17) Just as Jericho was a cursed city and is being made into a new and blessed city, God has provided for us through His Son to go from death to life, from barrenness to fruitfulness by reconciling all things to Himself through Christ.
- Salt is mentioned early in the Bible. Leviticus 2:13 says "And every offering of your grain offering you shall season with salt, you shall not allow the salt of the covenant of your God to be lacking from your grain offering. With all your offerings you shall offer salt". God is a covenant God. In Genesis 17:7 He promises Abraham (our father in faith) "...this is the everlasting covenant: I will always be your God and the God of your descendants after you". God has made an unbreakable covenant to be in relationship with us. When we choose to be in relationship with God, we are agreeing to join in that covenant relationship and be His people.
- Being in relationship with God throws salt into the waters of your life, brings healing to what is dead and barren.
Are you struggling internally? Struggling with death and barrenness in your life? This could be in any area of life. How is your relationship with God? The word says that God will ALWAYS be your God. He is Jehovah, our Lord
The Lord who heals you
The Lord, your provider
The Lord, your righteousness
The Lord, your deliverer
The Lord who leads you in battle
The Lord who leads you in victory
The Lord, your peace
The Lord, the banner over your
Pursue your relationship with God through Christ Jesus, and you will make it to the finish line. Go past external appearances, uncover your internal situations to the healing power of Jesus' finished work on the cross. Continue in covenant relationship - God will never quit on it, it is an everlasting covenant!
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