Matthew 25:31-40 – “When the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. ³² All the nations will be assembled before him, and he will separate people one from another like a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³ He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. ³⁴ 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. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ ³⁷ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or naked and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ ⁴⁰ And the king will answer them, ‘I tell you the truth, just as you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of mine, you did it for me.’”

As I read, prayed, and pondered on the Word of God today, the Life of Joseph filled my thoughts.    There is a plethora of truth and practical applications to be gleaned from his life.    I want to focus on something particular today.  God’s providence, presence, and provision.

Joseph was sold into bondage by jealous brothers seeking to eliminate him, yet he prospered in all he did.  His dreams as a youth and his knowledge of God’s Covenant Promises were foundational in his life. He watched God turn tragedy into triumph.  God will do the same for us if we follow Joseph’s pattern and heart.

In Genesis 47, the account of the people during the famine, Joseph gave me a picture of Christ and His church.   They sold everything, including themselves, to Pharoah.   Let me suggest that in this, we can see pictures of a spiritual truth that can comfort and encourage us.

I find it difficult to make Pharaoh a type of the Father, but to some extent, this account suggests that.   Joseph is a type of Jesus in the famine.   He provides fully when they surrender totally.

In this account, Joseph provided for them from Pharoah’s storehouse. He then gave them the ability to provide for their needs, with the requirement that they give back a fifth part (not ten percent, but twenty). I’m not saying we earn anything from God, but that if we totally surrender to Him, He provides and enables us to provide for ourselves and bless others by giving back to God out of our harvest.

In Matthew 25, we have the story of the sheep and goats.  The sheep did it for others without thinking about what they were doing.   They did it out of a transformed heart of love.   The goats did not, and they were shocked when Jesus addressed their omission of acts of love and kindness.   We live out of love, not obligation, trying to earn favor.

If we give God our entire being, He provides all we need.   No more fretting over stuff!   He owns us and takes care of what is His.   Like Joseph, we can watch our problems become victories if we give them to Him and trust Him.  We can’t fix it.   He can!   The more we do it, the less room there is for Him to do what He does!   Who is better able to do it, Him or us?

Give it all to Jesus, and He will bring us into His place of triumph. We can then say, as Joseph, “This was meant for evil against me, but God had a better plan. He turns our tragedies into triumphs.” 
Today is a day of victory in Jesus if we will give it all to Him.

Enjoy His presence, which brings His provision out of His providence!   You are victorious in Christ!