Salted With Fire

"For everyone will be salted with fire." Mark 9:49, NASB

Jesus continues in verse 50 " Salt is good: but if the salt becomes unsalty, with what will you make it salty again?  Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another."

Salt.  A preservative and a flavor enhancer.

​These verses have been in my forethought lately.  Words ruminating in my mind; specifically the word "everyone". 

For EVERYONE will be salted with fire.  It doesn't matter if you're a Christian or not, you will be tested with fire and it will produce salt in your life.  The key is Who do you turn to while in the fire?

As my mind swims in this verse I think back to Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.  3 men kidnapped from their homes and forced to live another world.  A world where their beliefs were made fun of, their God ridiculed and everything was thrown at them to get them to conform.  They were even forced to change their names to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

​Yet they stood firm in their belief in God.  One would think being kidnapped and forced into a different life would be their testimony; their salt with fire.  It wasn't.

Refusing to bow and worship the king of the land, they were thrown into the fire.  Literally.  A fire burning so hot those stoking the fire died from it's exposure.

Stop and think about what Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were thinking at that moment standing outside the fire.  Their life was over.  They were about to be thrown into a fire that killed those near it.  There would be no escaping this.  How would you feel standing there?

Maybe they still thought God would save them.  That single thought giving immense power to a small flicker of hope.  But then they are thrown into the fire and they find themselves air born and falling. 

They knew it was over.

Until it wasn't.

Jesus showed up.

When the despair had taken all the hope - as they stood IN the fire - Jesus showed up.  In the midst of the flames, Jesus was there with them.  Did they look around at the flames with faith?  Did they become fearful like Peter did when walking on the stormy water? 

I don't know.  But what I do know is Jesus didn't put out the fire.  He stood in it.

As the king knew 3 men were thrown in the fire and now could see 4 men walking around, he called them to come out of the fire.  Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out.

Jesus did not.

You see, the men had been salted with fire and it was their story to share.  Jesus left it to them to tell others how He showed up in their most desperate moment.

Most of us won't find ourselves in a literal fire.  But pain and trials and testing may lay a fire to us unlike one we've ever known.  For everyone will be salted with fire.  Everyone. 

So when you feel those hot flames licking at your soul, look around.  You'll find Jesus standing in the flames with you.