Don't Be Salty, But Salted & Savored: Five Day Devotional

Here are a few additional resources to guide your quiet time this week:

• Watch the replay of "Don't Be Salty, But Salted & Savored" by Pastor Albertha J. Brown.

• Use this small group discussion guide with family, friends and co-workers.

• Join us for our 6 AM Prayer Call, Monday through Friday (EST)

Day 1: Don't Look Back At What God Judged

Based on the Message: "Don't Be Salty, But Salted & Savored" by Pastor Albertha J. Brown.

"But Lot's wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt." - Genesis 19:26

Devotional: Have you ever found yourself stuck between two worlds? Lot's wife faced this exact dilemma when God called her family to leave Sodom and Gomorrah. The angels gave clear instructions: flee and don't look back. Yet in that crucial moment, she turned around and became a pillar of salt. We often find ourselves in similar situations. God calls us forward into His promises, but we're tempted to glance back at what we're leaving behind. Maybe it's an old relationship, a comfortable sin, or a familiar but unhealthy pattern.

The pull of the past can be incredibly strong. Lot's wife's story isn't just about physical looking back, it's about heart attachment. Her backward glance revealed where her heart truly was. She was physically moving toward safety but emotionally clinging to destruction. This divided heart cost her everything. God's instructions to move forward aren't meant to punish us but to protect us. When He says, "don't look back," He's leading us away from judgment and toward His best for our lives. The cities behind Lot's wife were about to be destroyed, there was nothing worth preserving there. Today, God may be calling you to leave something behind. Trust His voice. His plans for your future are far better than anything in your past. Don't let attachment to what was keep you from experiencing what will be.

Quote: "Lot's wife lost her promise because she couldn't let go of what God had already judged." - Pastor Albertha J. Brown

Question: What is God asking you to leave behind that you're still looking back at, and how might this attachment be preventing you from fully embracing His plans for your future?

Prayer: Lord, help me to trust Your voice when You call me forward. Give me the strength to release my grip on the past and walk confidently into the future You have prepared for me. Remove any divided loyalties in my heart. Amen.

Day 2: Be Salt, Not Salty: Your Influence Matters

Based on the Message: "Don't Be Salty, But Salted & Savored" by Pastor Albertha J. Brown.

"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot." - Matthew 5:13

Devotional: There's a world of difference between being salty and being salt. In our culture, being "salty" often means being bitter, irritated, or easily offended. But Jesus calls us to be something entirely different, the salt of the earth. Salt has incredible properties. It preserves food from decay, enhances flavor, and purifies. When used properly, salt makes everything better. But when there's too much salt, it becomes overwhelming and unpalatable. The same is true in our spiritual lives. When we're "salty-" bitter, critical, or constantly offended, we become ineffective witnesses. People avoid us rather than being drawn to the hope we carry.

Our words sting instead of healing, and our presence brings tension rather than peace. But when we function as salt, we preserve what's good around us. We bring out the best in others. Our words season conversations with grace and truth. We create an environment where God's presence can be tasted and experienced. Living in a world that's increasingly "salty", full of offense and irritation, makes our role as salt even more crucial. People are hungry for authenticity, grace, and hope. They need to encounter believers who demonstrate the transforming power of God's love. The choice is ours daily: will we be salty or will we be salt? Will we add to the world's bitterness, or will we be agents of preservation and flavor?

Quote: "Be the salt that brings out God’s flavor in the world" - Pastor Albertha J. Brown

Question: In what areas of your life are you being "salty" (bitter or easily offended) instead of being "salt" (preserving and enhancing), and how can you make the shift?

Prayer: Father, help me to be salt in this world, preserving what's good, enhancing what's beautiful, and bringing Your flavor to every situation. Remove any bitterness or offense from my heart and make me a source of Your grace. Amen.

Day 3: Your Presence Changes Everything

Based on the Message: "Don't Be Salty, But Salted & Savored" by Pastor Albertha J. Brown

"Then he said, ‘May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?’ He answered, ‘For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it." — Genesis 18:32

Devotional: Sometimes we underestimate the power of our presence. Abraham's intercession for Sodom and Gomorrah reveals a profound truth: God honors the presence of the righteous. Even in the midst of widespread corruption, God was willing to spare entire cities for the sake of just a few faithful people. You might look around your workplace, neighborhood, or family and feel overwhelmed by the challenges you see. Maybe you feel like you're the only one trying to live according to God's principles. It's easy to feel insignificant or wonder if your faithfulness even matters. But here's the truth: your presence as a covenant person changes the spiritual atmosphere around you. You're not just occupying space, you're influencing it. Your prayers, your integrity, your love, and your faithfulness create a protective covering over the people and places in your sphere of influence.

Think about it this way: you might be the reason certain doors remain open, certain opportunities arise, or certain disasters are averted. Your faithfulness doesn't just benefit you; it extends blessing to others who may never even know it. This understanding should fill you with both humility and confidence. Humility because it's not about your own goodness, but about God's covenant faithfulness working through you. Confidence because your life has more impact than you realize. Don't underestimate your role. You're not just surviving in difficult places, you're there to change the trajectory.

Quote: "God spares places because covenant people are present!"- Pastor Albertha J. Brown

Question: How might God be using your faithful presence to influence and protect the people and places around you, even in ways you can't see?

Prayer: Lord, help me understand the weight and privilege of being Your covenant person. Use my presence to bring blessing and protection to those around me. Make me faithful in the place You've positioned me. Amen.

Day 4: Breaking Cycles: The Power of Intentional Choices

Based on the Message: "Don't Be Salty, But Salted & Savored" by Pastor Albertha J. Brown

"But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord." - Joshua 24:15

Devotional: Every family has patterns, some beautiful, some broken. Maybe you grew up in a home filled with yelling, criticism, or unhealthy communication. Perhaps you witnessed relationships marked by bitterness, unforgiveness, or destructive habits. The question isn't whether these patterns exist, but whether they'll continue through you. Breaking generational cycles requires intentional, often difficult choices. It means looking at the patterns that shaped you and deciding which ones deserve to continue and which ones need to stop with you. This isn't about condemning previous generations; it's about taking responsibility for the legacy you're creating.

The beautiful truth is that you have the power to choose differently. You can decide that the yelling stops with you. You can choose to speak life instead of death over your children. You can break cycles of silence around important issues and create new patterns of healthy communication. These choices aren't always easy. Sometimes it feels more natural to default to what we know, even when what we know isn't healthy. But with God's help, we can establish new patterns that honor Him and bless future generations. Remember, disobedience and unhealthy patterns don't just affect us, they ripple through generations. But so do faithfulness, love, and godly choices. Every time you choose to respond differently than the negative patterns of your past, you're not just changing your story, you're changing your family's story. The cycle-breaking starts with you, today, in this moment.

Quote: "The things that happened to us don’t have to be repeated through us. There comes a time when we stand up and say, ‘No—I’m not continuing that cycle." - Pastor Albertha J. Brown

Question: What negative family patterns or cycles do you need to intentionally break, and what positive legacy do you want to establish instead?

Prayer: God, give me wisdom to recognize unhealthy patterns and courage to break them. Help me establish new traditions and ways of relating that honor You and bless future generations. Make me a cycle-breaker and legacy-builder. Amen.

Day 5: Building a Spiritual Legacy

Based on the Message: "Don't Be Salty, But Salted & Savored" by Pastor Albertha J. Brown

"My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children." - Hosea 4:6

Devotional: Legacy isn't just about what we leave for our children, it's about what we leave in them. The values we model, the conversations we have, the faith we demonstrate, and the love we show all become part of who they become. This is both a tremendous privilege and a weighty responsibility. Every day, we're making deposits into the hearts and minds of the next generation. Our words carry power; life and death are in the power of the tongue. When we speak encouragement, we're building confidence. When we share wisdom, we're providing tools for future challenges. When we demonstrate forgiveness, we're teaching grace. But legacy-building also requires us to have the hard conversations.

Silence isn't always golden. Sometimes love demands that we address difficult topics, set boundaries, and speak truth even when it's uncomfortable. What we don't speak to our children, someone else will speak to them; and we may not like their message. Building a godly legacy means being intentional about the spiritual inheritance we're creating. It means praying for our children, teaching them God's ways, and showing them what it looks like to walk in covenant relationship with Him. It means being the kind of person we want them to become. The beautiful truth is that it's never too late to start building a better legacy. Whether you're parenting young children, adult children, or influencing others in your sphere, you can begin today to be more intentional about the spiritual inheritance you're creating. Your legacy is being written right now, in the choices you make and the love you show.

Quote: "Legacy isn't only what we leave FOR our children, it's what we leave IN them." - Pastor Albertha J. Brown

Question: What specific values, wisdom, or spiritual inheritance do you want to intentionally deposit into the lives of those you influence, and how will you begin doing that today?

Prayer: Father, help me be intentional about the legacy I'm building. Give me wisdom to know what to say and when to say it. Help me model the faith, love, and character I want to see in the next generation. Make my life a blessing that continues through them. Amen.