Daily Devotional For Friday, October 2, 2026
Good morning Southside! I am following the One Year Chronological Bible reading suggestion and any Bible verses you see highlighted in bold (ex. John 3:16), means it is a link to that verse. All you have to do is click on the reference and it will take you to the verse online. Our daily devotional for today comes from Matthew 5:13-16:
“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. (14) “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. (15) No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. (16) In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father” (NLT).
This passage comes from Jesus’ Sermon On The Mount. These words of Jesus are about being so different that we stand out as His children. God commands us not to be conformist, not to blend in with our culture, but to be totally the opposite (Rom. 12:1-2). I like what Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones has to say about this:
“The glory of the gospel is that when the Church is absolutely different from the world, she invariably attracts it. It is then that the world is made to listen to her message, though it may hate it at first” (Source: D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Studies In The Sermon On The Mount, 2nd ed., p. 28).
We live in a world where the lust to be accepted, even by Christians, often overpowers our love for the Lord. In our passage Jesus is referring to the taste of salt. Have you ever tried to eat popcorn without salt? Yuck! We put salt on just about everything to add flavor to it. Yeah, yeah, I know that too much salt can raise a person’s blood pressure, but that is not what Jesus is addressing here. He is talking about the right amount of salt to add the right amount of flavor. If you have ever over salted your food, you get the picture.
Salt can lose its “saltiness” if it is contaminated with impurities. Salt remains salt as long as it stays sodium chloride only. Think of it this way. You make the perfect pot of soup with all the right ingredients with all the right amounts of seasoning, including salt. You taste it and it is perfect, but then someone else comes along and adds 2 quarts of water to your pot of soup. What happened? They diluted not just the soup, but the seasoning, including the salt. This is Jesus’ point here. We are not to be diluted salt in this world. So, are you a diluted Christian in this world and culture?
The second picture Jesus gives here is with light. Did you notice what Jesus said in verse 14? Jesus didn’t say you are the light of Nazareth or Galilee. He doesn’t say to us that we are the light to Wilmington or NC or the USA. He says you and I are the light of the world. Hello! World? – yes, the whole world. Now we could go off on talking about a pagan ideology called Gnosticism that stated you had to have the right enlightenment to be saved. Jesus is not referencing Gnosticism as John does in his Gospel.
Here Jesus is referencing visibility. Christians are to be seen in this world. So, how do we make the Light of Christ visible? Jesus tells us in verse 16 – through our good deeds or good works. Now before you panic and think Jesus is advocating salvation by works, He is not. Our good works are the result of His work of salvation in us.
Let me give us all a biblical definition of good works. Here it is: good works are those actions the Lord has instructed us to do through His Word that honor God the Father through the power of God the Holy Spirit. Good works are only “good” if they are confirmed by God’s Word. I love what New Testament scholar Dougals S. O’Donnell says:
“When Christians love others (even their enemies), the world tastes the salt and sees the light of the gospel. When we pray for and respect those in authority, the world tastes the salt and sees the light of the gospel. When we give generously to those in need, the world tastes the salt and sees the light of the gospel. When we control our anger, lust, and lies, the world tastes the salt and sees the light of the gospel. When we trust in God to provide in trying economic times, the world tastes the salt and sees the light of the gospel. When we feed the hungry, clothe the naked, welcome the stranger, or visit the sick and those in prison, it is as though we become like Moses when he descended from Mount Sinai—our faces (and our hands) show to this dark world something of the Father’s glory!” (Source: Douglas S. O’Donnell, Preach The Word, “Matthew: All Authority In Heaven And On Earth,” pp. 120-121).
Reflection Assignment: Are you as “salt” diluted with the contaminants of this world? Is the light of Christ in you visible to the world? Do you ever feel pressured to compromise just to be accepted? Why or why not? How do you respond to those who hurt you or someone you love? Are your anger, lusts and lies in check? Do you feed the hungry, clothe the naked, welcome the stranger, or visit the sick and those in prison? Why or why not? If the Lord were to give you a grade on your “good works,” what grade do you think He would give you and why?
Scripture To Meditate On: Titus 2:7a, “And you yourself must be an example to them by doing good works of every kind” (NLT).
Prayer To Pray: “Dear Lord, please forgive me when I dilute my salt and dim my light all to be accepted by others. I want Your work in me to be attractive through the good works You challenge me with through Your Word. I want to be different for You for Lord. Help me to be Your salt and light in this whole. I love You Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”
I love you Southside! – Pastor Kelly