Then the sea gave up its dead, and Death and Hades gave up their dead; all were judged according to their works. Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And anyone not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:13-15)
Do you know why the Dead Sea in Israel is “dead?” Most will tell you, correctly so, that the Dead Sea is dead because of the high content of salt and other minerals, which make the sea uninhabitable by living things. The minerals and salts are so thick that one need not ever worry about sinking. Even the largest among us would float on this super saturated sea. Yet, that is really only part of the story.
The mineral and salt content is so high because the Dead Sea has no outlet. No water flows out of it, but the Jordan River continually dumps water in. The water evaporates off leaving behind the heavier minerals to saturate the water. For this reason, nothing grows beside the Dead Sea. There are no trees, shrubs, gardens or grassy dunes as one finds just slightly north along the River Jordan.
Now, one might wonder, “Why would God create such a thing? How does that happen, and what purpose does it serve?” Well, I cannot give answers to these in their entirety, but I can tell you that it is a wonderful illustration of the dangers of assuming certain types of behavior or patterns of thinking. Let’s consider them by category.
Financially If our financial lives are solely about receiving and never giving, then death reigns in us. Our wealth builds up in our hearts and eventually chokes the life out of us. Why? Wealth is nothing more than a tool that is designed with an outlet in mind. It must be used for the purposes of good. When it is not, then, it causes all sorts of difficulties in our lives.
Mentally One cannot bottle up things like anger, malice, resentment, envy, anxiety, covetousness, sorrow, joy, etc. without some sort of release. We all need someone with whom to talk, vent, lean on, celebrate or mourn. Pent up emotions that find no outlet lead (often very literally) to death and patterns of thinking that lead to it.
Spiritually You are not designed to be an endpoint for salvation. You were designed to receive it and pass it along, reaching out, teaching men the truth of God’s Word. When we do not and thus fail in our mission, we begin a journey that will not only lead to a spiritual death here and now, but to the great second death in eternal separation from God.
Now, I am told that the Dead Sea, while supporting no living creatures, actually has restorative properties in the minerals brought from the lake. Several companies harvest these and actually turn them into cosmetics, creams and restorative facial products. Life can come from death, but it must have an outlet.
What are your spiritual outlets? Are you teaching his word, being that shoulder to cry on, or helping others when financially possible? In this day, may you seek many spiritual outlets. Ironically, the more outlets you have, the greater you usually grow.
