There is a passage of scripture in Mark 9:49 where Jesus makes this statement: “Everyone will be salted by fire.” I have read this so many times over the years and I have never really understood the meaning of it.
I just read it again the other day and it actually made sense. It’s like the light came on and I think I can see what He is saying.
The fire represents the trials of this life, no one is exempt, we all have to go through them. Lots of times it actually feels like you’re going through a fire and sometimes it might feel as if you’re drowning in a raging river, and you feel so alone.
But if you are in Christ, you are never alone! He is always with you and He is trying to refine you and make you more like Him. “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, nor will the flame burn you.” Isaiah 43:2. That’s a promise!
It will not feel good but we don’t go by how we feel. You might think you are all alone in the hard times, but He really is there with you and He is only making you more like Himself. And these trials have a purpose; They will make you more flavorful. That sounds funny but that’s what happens. Salt makes food taste good, and it also makes you thirsty. In this case, when people see how you handle the trials and difficulties, they will be drawn to you because you stay faithful to God through it all, and they will get thirsty for what you have.
This was confirmed to me as I took a break from writing and attended a Ladies’ Bible Study, and this subject came up. One of the ladies, I’ll call her Lisa, told us that she watched someone close to her who was a Christian, go through a horrible and devastating event that should have broken her. But she handled everything with such grace and such faith, trusting the Lord, that Lisa thought: “Whatever she has, I want it”. Lisa became “thirsty” for faith in God while watching the other woman go through the fire with faith. That’s how she gave her heart and life to the Lord.
So, don’t be afraid of the fire! James 1:2-4 says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
