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 Day 3: Joseph and a Series of Unfortunate Events!Because GOD IS THE CREATOR KING, I know He made me special! I can trust His plan for me!
Read or quote the memory verse. Have you ever had a really bad day? A day when nothing seemed to go right? What happened? The Bible tells the story of Joseph. Joseph had it all. His family was wealthy, his dad had given him a rare coat of many colors and to top it off, one night he had a dream from God in which he was the ruler over all his brothers. Needless to say, his brothers didn't take the dream well. Let's read Genesis 37:18-28. When Joseph's brother saw him coming, they recognized him in the distance. As he approached, they made plans to kill him. "Here comes the dreamer!" they said. "Come on, let's kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns. We can tell our father, ' A wild animal has eaten him.' Then we'll see what becomes of his dreams!" But when Reuben heard of their scheme, he came to Joseph's rescue. "Let's not kill him," he said. "Why should we shed any blood? Let's just throw him into this empty cistern here in the wilderness. Then he'll die without our laying a hand on him." Reuben was secretly planning to rescue Joseph and return him to his father. So when Joseph arrived, his brothers ripped off the beautiful robe he was wearing. Then they grabbed him and threw him into the cistern. Now the cistern was empty; there was no water in it. Then, just as they were sitting down to eat, they looked up and saw a caravan of camels in the distance coming toward them. It was a group of Ishmaelite traders taking a load of gum, balm, and aromatic resin from Gilead down to Egypt.
Discover God Bible, (NLT).
Joseph knew God's plan for him was that he would rule over his brothers, and yet he ended up getting sold into slavery! What would you be thinking about God if you had been Joseph? ("Did I hear God wrong in my dream?" "Did God blow it?" "Was God asleep when my brothers attacked me?" "Does God care?") The Creator/King was in control, even when Joseph was sold into slavery. God had a plan! When the caravan reached Egypt, Joseph was sold to a man named Potiphar. Even though Joseph was a slave, he worked hard and did his best work. Potiphar was impressed with his hard work, and Joseph was eventually promoted to the highest position in the house. Things were looking up for Joseph! But then Potiphar's wife lied about Joseph and accused him of doing things he didn't do. What would you have been thinking if you were Joseph? Believe it or not, Joseph continued to work hard and listen to God! The Creator/King was in control, even in prison, and He had a plan. God helped Joseph catch the attention of the Pharaoh. You see, the Pharaoh had a dream from God and told Joseph what it meant. Joseph told the Pharaoh that Egypt would have 7 years of supersized crops and then 7 years of no crops at all. Listen to what the Pharaoh said in Genesis 41:41: Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I hereby put you in charge of the entire land of Egypt."Discover God Bible, (NLT).
Can you believe it? So many things had gone wrong, and it certainly seemed that Joseph was doomed, but the Creator/King was always in control. Now that Joseph was in charge of everything in Egypt! Because Joseph knew the 7 years of famine (when there's very little food) was coming, he had ordered food to be saved and stored during the 7 years of super-sized crops. This made sure that the people of Egypt wouldn't starve. Many people from other countries, however, were going hungry. Joseph's father and his family were among them. Can you guess what happened? Joseph's brothers traveled to Egypt to ask the Pharaoh for food. When they arrived, they were taken before Joseph! But, it had been a long time since his brothers had seen Joseph, and they didn't recognize him in his royal robes. If you were Joseph, what do you think you would have said to your brothers? Let's read what he said from Genesis 45:7, 8: God has sent me ahead of you to keep you and your families alive and to preserve many survivors. So it was God who sent me here, not you! And He is the One who made me an adviser to Pharaoh--the manager of his entire palace and the governor of all Egypt.Discover God Bible, (NLT).
It seemed that Joseph was continually in the wrong place at the wrong time. But all the while, the Creator/King was preparing Joseph to be in the right place at the right time! Joseph's brothers' did not ruin God's plan! Potiphar's wife did not ruin God's plan! No one could ruin the Creator/King's plan! What do you learn from Joseph about how to act when bad things happen? (Trust that God is in control and has a plan; work hard to do your best and stay connected to Him!) If God is in control of everything, then no matter what happens, it is an opportunity to see Him work!
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| A | Activity … Family Fun Activities! |
| B | Bible Times … Exploring God's Word together |
| I | Influencing Others … how can you make a difference? |
| D | Drawing/Drama … exploring your creative side! |
| E | Experience … finding the teachable moments |
Why does it matter?
Talk with God and Stay Connected