Your Very Own Good Works

TITLE: Your Very Own Good Works
DATE: February 2, 2019
TEXT: Ephesians 2:10 -  (ESV) - 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
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Jesus Christ has done for you what you could not do for yourself.

• He fulfilled all the laws of God which humanity has broken.
• He resisted the temptations placed before Him which we find to be irresistible.
• He lived every moment of every day for others.
• He carried all of our sins to the cross and died our death so we might live eternally.

Now the Lord knows just how helpless we are when it comes to winning our salvation. BUT… even though He knows we cannot save ourselves, that doesn't mean we are free to twiddle our thumbs until Judgment Day. There are things which He asks us to do to show our appreciation for His grace and His Son’s sacrifice.

Our text for today tells us about one of those things the Lord has asked us to do. From the 2nd chapter of Ephesians it says: “ For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” So there you have it. We are supposed to do good works...  “What good works? I don’t know… good works. Here, let me explain how it works.

Perryn Miller is an 8-year-old boy from North Carolina. Last year, his family home was destroyed by Hurricane Florence and it hasn’t’ been rebuilt. That’s why  Perryn and his family spent Christmas with relatives in Utah.

While there, Perryn had a headache which took him to the hospital for some tests. Those tests showed he had a stage 4 glioblastoma multiforme. For average folk like us that’s an aggressive cancer usually found in the brain or spine. So, without going home, Perryn has had surgery and is fighting for his life in Utah.

Back home Grandma, feeling helpless, wanted to do something. She looked around and figured what her grandson needed more than anything else was a friend… a friend like his 8-month old German Shepherd pup named Frank. It was a grand idea… but Grandma ran into a brick wall when she found it would cost over $3000,00 to get Frank to his master.
That’s when Grandma began to look for help through social media. The story got passed around a lot…but Grandma was asking for a lot.

Eventually the story caught the eye of Jennifer Reynolds. She and her husband couldn’t help rebuild the family’s house… nor could they do surgery on Perryn; nor could they help with his recovery… or provide meals. BUT that doesn’t mean they should do nothing.

What did Grandma want:? She wanted a dog to be delivered to a boy 2,300 miles away… and Jennifer’s husband, Rob, was a former truck driver. They got hold of Grandma and said, “Here am I, send me, send me.”

And they went. Frank, the dog, behaved, the whole crew was united and the Savior was glorified because the Lord put before Rob a good work which had been designed specifically for him… just as you can find, if you’re looking, good works designed just for you.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, when it comes to good works let me do what I can, when I can, to as many as I can, as often as I can, and in all things may You be glorified. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Today’s devotion was inspired by various articles, amongst which is the one written by Madeline Farber for Fox News on January 16, 2019. Those who wish may check out this link which was, at the time of writing, fully active: https://www.foxnews.com/health/north-carolina-boy-battling-cancer-reunited-with-dog-after-man-makes-2300-mile-cross-country-trip
he music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann, one of my long-ago confirmands. He is singing with three brothers. This song comes from the album: The Baumann Brothers.