'Tis The Seasoning

I was in the grocery store the other day and I got to contemplating the top of the little tin which held the black spice known as pepper. I discovered it had three openings and that I could select any one of them, depending on the amount of powder I wanted to dispense. They were labeled, "Lift to Sift," "Lift to Spoon," and "Lift to Pour."

Continuing my investigation, I pried open the first to reveal a dozen or so tiny perforations which would permit a fine sprinkling of pepper to escape. The second flap covered a hole just barely large enough for about a quarter-teaspoon scoop. under the third cover, however, I found a gaping mouth from which the pepper would pour like Niagra Falls!

And I thought of 2 Kings 13:14-20.

No, really! In that chapter of the Bible, Elisha the prophet is about to die. King Joash of Israel comes to see him, and the seer tells the sovereign to take some arrows and "smite" the ground (when you are the King, I suppose you don't just "hit" or "beat" things). It seems like an odd request, but his majesty takes three smacks at the floor just to humor the old guy. But it isn't humerous to Elisha. He becomes "wroth" (which is King James English for really ticked off) and Elisha tells King Joash that each smack with the arrows gained a victory over the Syrians, Israel's chief enemy. Because Joash only hit the arrows against the ground three times, instead of wiping Syria out, God's people would now win only three battles.

Poor dumb Joash. When he really needed "Lift to Pour," he settled for "Lift to Sift."

I wonder what setting ("Lift to Sift," "Lift to Spoon," or "Lift to Pour") is on our own Christian walk? Are we "Lift to Sift" Christians, happy with a powder-puff victory now and then, or are we "Lift to Pour" Saints who want to bury ourselves in the blessings of our Heavenly Father? We know His desire for us and we only need to surrender our will and desires to Him to have the best (Psalm 84:11; Romans 12:1,2)! Let's open the spout where God's blessings come out and learn to live in the zest of a well-spiced Christian walk!

'Tis The Seasoning,
Pastor David Blevins