Small deeds; big rewards

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Salvation past, present, and future”

Our Bible verse for today: “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat; I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink; I was a stranger and you took me in; I was naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you took care of me; I was in prison and you visited me … Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” Matthew 25:34-36; 40 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Small deeds; big rewards”

When it comes to fully understanding the doctrine of salvation – especially the consummation of it in heaven (the best part!), we don’t want to rush through it. There’s too much to consider and it is too important. So, we will continue our deep dive into what eternity will be like for those who have been saved by Jesus and who will therefore spend their eternity in heaven with Him.

In the passage from Matthew cited above, we find Jesus with believers on Judgment Day. We will consider the judgment in greater detail another time but for today, please notice in that passage that Jesus is rewarding believers in eternity for actions they took in this lifetime. Note also that the examples Jesus cites and the actions He commends are all small things – giving food to the hungry, drink to the thirsty, clothes to the naked, housing for the homeless, a visit to a prisoner, etc.

He pointedly did not mention big accomplishments like being a television evangelist, or leading stadium crusades, or donating large sums of money to Christian causes. All those things are important and they do need to happen, but most ordinary Christians like you and me will never lead a stadium crusade or donate a million dollars to a Bible college. Most of us live ordinary lives that are filled with ordinary activities.

But small things matter too. In fact, small acts of kindness, compassion, and mercy constitute the bulk of Christian ministry in the world. The kingdom of God on earth grows by millions of Christians performing countless small acts of blessings everyday all over the world. These things matter very much. They matter to the people on the receiving end and they matter to Jesus. So much so that Jesus says here that He considers those small acts of kindness and blessing to have been done directly for Him personally. He will not forget them and in heaven you will be rewarded for every one of those small acts.

How you live now matters for all eternity. The big things matter but so do the small things. So, live in a way now that Jesus can reward you for later. Make it a point to bless people today in numerous small ways.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

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