30 December Joshua 16

Will you live for Him today, so that one day you may share in the treasures of heaven?

Joshua 16:1 (NIV) The allotment for Joseph began at the Jordan, east of the springs of Jericho, and went up from there through the desert into the hill country of Bethel.

God was taking care of Joseph. He was also protecting Joseph’s whole family. Even when Joseph was sold as a slave and locked in prison, God was using those hard times to keep them alive during the famine. Joseph could never have imagined how God was working, and no one else would have planned it that way. But behind the scenes, God was arranging everything for Joseph’s good, for his family’s good, and to fulfil His promise. In the end, Joseph’s descendants received part of the promised land, just as God had said (Joshua 16:1).

Like Joseph, are you always living your life for God?

Just like God rewarded Joseph, He also promises to reward you with an eternal inheritance in His heavenly Promised Land—if you deny yourself and live for His righteousness.

Matthew 6:20, (NIV)“But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.”

Matthew 13:44, (NIV)“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.”

Isaiah 45:3, (NIV)“I will give you hidden treasures, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name.”

The treasures God promises will never perish:

1 Corinthians 9:25, (NIV)“Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.”

To store up treasures in heaven, you must deny yourself for His sake:

Matthew 16:24, (NIV)“Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.’”

But Jesus also teaches that your self-denial must be done in secret, not for the praise of people:

Matthew 6:4, (NIV)“Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

The question is this: Are you denying yourself for Him, so that you may store up treasures in heaven?

Joseph’s story reminds us that God is always faithful to His promises. What seemed like setbacks—slavery, betrayal, and prison—were actually part of God’s bigger plan to preserve Joseph’s life, bless his family, and lead his descendants into the promised land. In the same way, God is working behind the scenes in your life, often in ways you cannot see or understand, to prepare you for your eternal inheritance.

Your choices today matter. When you deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Jesus, you are storing up treasures in heaven—treasures that will never fade, spoil, or be stolen. Earthly rewards will not last, but the crown that God gives His children will endure forever.

So, live each day with your eyes fixed on the eternal Promised Land. Let your obedience, sacrifice, and devotion be done not for recognition, but for Him alone. And when the journey feels long or difficult, remember Joseph’s example: God is faithful, and His promises never fail.

*Will you live for Him today, so that one day you may share in the treasures of heaven?*