Deeper Still by phil mccallum

Scripture I have said before that you have such a place in our hearts that we would live or die with you. 2 Corinthians 7:3

Observation One of the reasons us Christians are squeezed together into church is to explore all that it means for us to be Christ’s family. If we make the most of community life we can discover that church family will mean more to us than our parents or immediate family.

That’s not to be unkind to our own kinfolk. It’s just saying what Jesus said. The family were within earshot when Jesus spoke.

Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.” He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” Matthew 12:47-50

Few experience family through the church. They touch the frame but they are not in the family picture. They shake the hands of strangers after the singing is finished. They hug a Bible for comfort on their lap during a small group. They nibble spaghetti of a sagging paper plate at the church pot luck. They they are in the wading pool of relationships. Few have plunged into the deep end of family.

Just as we modern Christians have processed the lavish communion meal into thimble goblets and bird feed bread, so we’ve dehydrated the family of God. We need a new generation who will walk heart-first into every predictable activity and fill it with meaning. It is a choice to open an inner sitting room of our heart where only blood relatives have entered and let God’s people in there. It is a holy courage not to let any event be perfunctory but family.

Application I’m thankful that for 25 years of living thousands of miles from my family that I came to love brothers and sisters in Christ’s family as my own. They became our grandparents, parents, brothers, sisters, cousins, aunts and uncles. That experience has ruined me for life. I can’t attend church for long without turning it into my own family reunion. I want to be part of a body where everyone does that too.

Prayer   Father, teach us to be family again. Amen.

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Press the arrow to listen to Israel Houghton lead “Friend of God” while reading today’s devotion on God’s intimate friendship with you.

Scripture
“All the offerings of the holy gifts, which the sons of Israel offer to the Lord, I have given to you and your sons and your daughters with you, as a perpetual allotment It is an everlasting covenant of salt before the Lord to you and your descendants with you.” Numbers 18:19

Observation
I’m curious, so the phrase “covenant of salt” grabbed my attention and dragged me through the internet to find out what it means. The words conjured up pictures of holy rituals in sacred cloisters with a salt shaker. I wanted to know more.

I learned that salt is a preservative that makes things last forever. If in doubt, ask a mummy. The Egyptians preserved bodies in natron, a salt compound scraped from dry desert lakes. Salt is to be a symbol of an eternal relationship with God to last forever. Of course this is not us first to him, but him first to us.

It gets better. Salt, apparently, was a key ingredient among friends. Even among the Arabs, close friends say, “There is salt between us.” Salt became a symbol of enduring friendships. At at special meals, friends would make covenants with each other over their meal and sprinkle salt liberally to underscore their covenant.

And it gets even better yet. God gave to the priests of Aaron all of the meat brought to the temple as offerings. He said that this meat was theirs to eat along with salt. Here’s the cool part: it would be for them as if they were sitting at a table with God as their best friend, and the Almighty himself would enter into a covenant of close friendship with them forever.

Application
The thought of God salting some grilled steaks and sharing them with me in intimate friendship is a disarmingly kind thought. That he would stoop to honour me with a salt covenant is more than I deserve. But it is everything that I want from him. And yes, it gets way better yet, because through this meal I become the salt of the earth. I keep my saltiness by keeping my intimate connection with the Father. His friendship savouring me, is what flavours every human relationship that I enjoy. I am the salt of the earth because I’ve received the seasoned meal of friendship with God Almighty. God in Christ has offered himself to me as my very best friend.

Prayer
Father, I hunger for a salt meal with you. I want this friendship with you that you describe here for the priests of old. Peter says I’m in the priesthood now, so surely Aaron’s sons would not have enjoyed more than I can today. So I take every gift from you as a salt covenant, a symbol of your enduring friendship with me. Help me to be something of the friend back to you for all of the unreserved and undeserved friendship that you’ve given to me. Amen.

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