WORDS AND DEEDS

It has been an interesting couple of weeks leading up to today. I was scheduled to have surgery on my left shoulder on March 31st, but it was cancelled due to the coronavirus. Then, what I do for a living has been determined to be a critical infrastructure position and I have been working (a lot). But God is good,  He is faithful, He is loving, and we need to trust His plan for us and our wellbeing. I have one verse that I am going to write about today. It is Proverbs 12:14, “A man will be satisfied with good by the fruit of his words, And the deeds of a man’s hands will return to him.” ‘When we use our words correctly, to teach and comfort others, we enjoy acceptance through Jesus Christ, and the testimony of our conscience, that we in some measure answer the end of our being,’ I paraphrased from Matthew Henry’s Commentary (Concise). I cannot think of a greater joy than being of benefit to others by the words that come from our mouths. Often, we see the exact opposite of that, we let our words flow without thought and it does more damage than good. Let us pray that we can control our thoughts and words to allow us to be used for good in all that we say.
The second part of this verse speaks to “the deeds of a man’s hands will return to him.” Job 34:11 says, “For He pays a man according to his work…” and Romans 2:6&7 “…who will render to every man according to his deeds: to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life…” What we do, our work, and our deeds for doing good are important. Not only does it benefit others, but we are also rewarded. Now our works and deeds have nothing to do with our salvation. Our salvation comes by the mercy and grace of God through Christ’s death and resurrection as a sacrifice for our sins. We cannot earn it by any means. It is a gift given freely. And what is required of us? We are to trust in that sacrifice and have faith in the sacrificial Lamb.
As we approach this Easter during this pandemic, let us reflect on Christ and all that He has done on our behalf. He died for us, He was punished and then crucified for my sins and yours. And our God is in control of all things. I cannot think of a better place to be than in His hands. Happy Easter!
And speaking of hands, our greatest defense against this virus is to wash our hands often and thoroughly, multiple times a day and avoid touching your face. Please, be smart and be safe! I eagerly look forward to the day we can worship together again! Until then, God bless all of you.