Matthew 25:31-46 KJV
(31) When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
(32) And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
(33) And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
(34) Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
(35) For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
(36) Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
(37) Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
(38) When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
(39) Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
(40) And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
(41) Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
(42) For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
(43) I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
(44) Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
(45) Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
(46) And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

I read a sign the other day that said or implied you must trust God at some point but you never have to trust other human being. Anyone not understanding the concept of trusting God fails to understand that God has your best interest at heart. He desires good things and he knows everyone that you come in contact with. He knows if they are good or if they are bad. He knows if they have a heart to give or a heart to only be takers. What if you are in position that you can only take and you can give at the most a smile, are you forgotten by God. No your purpose is to smile. What if you can only take and can not reach up to grab hold of the giving back, are you less saved?

The separation of goat and sheep as little to do with obedience factor, though it seems to be a greater divider between goats and sheep. Both the goats and sheep believe in God. Goats being the unrepentant and much like the devil as being takers and not givers. The sheep are believers and obey the voice of God. There is times when you tell a person no and times you help a person. Sometimes no is helping them learn to stand and sometimes yes is only a hand up for today that leads to someone finding work tomorrow and being productive.

Giving to a child in need is not a hand out but a hand up, if those helping the child is able to help them to learn to work and be productive beyond the hand up. The hand up is a blessing, but the hand not extended but total uncaring is a disaster of doom on people not able to get a footing in life. One might not think the little loaf of toast is that big of a deal, but is to a person that is hungry. One might throw away a loaf of bread if a piece is molded and another might choose to throw only the molded away. Cutting the mold off the cheese and eating it, or tossing the whole block of cheese away can be a difference in a meal and starvation for some. Some who see no danger in any of it, will say what the big deal. Look it up on the internet. What one does to protect their Stomach or kill it may depend more on the way you were raised.

Yet the point of whether to eat something that had mold or not, is kind of like deciding if a person is good or bad. We all were evil in God’s sight until the day of our Salvation. Our salvation beginning when we first trusted God. That is the point of when we began to turn around to hearing God and then becoming a doer of His word because we recognize the hope found in following Jesus. Let us begin with the thought that if you can only trust one person who would it be. A person that can squash you like an ant and raise you up to live a more prosperous life. Or one that can squish you and toss you to the curb.

God is just in all his ways, but he sees man as evil, his creation that turned away from Him. Yet He believes there is hope for some of us that recognize his compassion and love. He wants to give everyone a choice to follow and obey, or to turn away. Part of following God is giving to those in need without expecting anything in return. No one totally gives without expecting a reward even if it is later in life. No one gives a hand out without later in life if they have a need wondering why they can not find help.

Why is it that some of the most loving people that give generously only find themselves in nursing home with few friends. It because those receiving there help were only takers and not givers. If the world is consider evil, then how can you expect to find givers. Truth is reliance on God to help one find those who will help without receiving something back is hard. Does God expect something back with his giving. Yes He expect respect and obedience, yet he already knows your heart.

The dividing of sheep and goats is simply defined not by just the nature to give, but the heart to give. Many give without the concept of obeying God. If God only took the ones that obeyed then many believers who are unable to give could not. What I am saying is though this passage is true, there is more involved then this one passage of scripture of giving and choosing. In school one might choose teams in gym class, only to find they only picked the best there was to win. Yet God does not pick the best to win but those that believe and do. A poor widow feed Elijah and became rich, because of blessings from God during a time of famine. Her vats never running dry, yet she had not desired to obey the prophet of God, but did so anyway. God chose to bless her. Giving her work and not just hand out. God’s hands hold both the goat and the sheep for a time, yet at the end of life comes a decision of where the goats will go for eternity. They go to the devils den if they be goats. If they are sheep they go to heaven.

Dear Heavenly Father thank you for the choice to obey you. Thank you not just for hand outs and but your hand ups. In Jesus precious name, Amen.