DAY 8
JOSEPH & HIS COAT
You planned to harm me. But God planned it for good. He planned to do what is now being done. He wanted to save many lives.
-Genesis 50:20
REFLECT
Joseph came from a big family, he had eleven brothers! His father, Jacob, loved him very much. Out of all his sons, Joseph was his dad’s favorite. One day, Jacob gave Joseph a beautiful coat of many colors.
To make things even harder for his brothers, Joseph had dreams that one day they would bow down to him. When he told them about his dreams, his brothers became jealous and angry. Their jealousy turned to hatred.
One day, when Joseph went to check on his brothers in the fields, they tore off his colorful coat and threw him into a pit. Later, they sold him to slave traders traveling to Egypt—hoping to get rid of him forever.
Even though Joseph’s life had turned upside down, he continued to trust God. He worked hard as a servant, but soon found himself in prison for something he didn’t do. Still, Joseph remained faithful to God.
One night, Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, had a strange dream about skinny cows eating fat cows. No one could explain what it meant—until Pharaoh heard that Joseph could interpret dreams. Pharaoh sent for him, and Joseph explained that the dream meant there would be seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine.
Pharaoh was so impressed that he put Joseph in charge of gathering food during the good years so Egypt would have enough when the famine came.
Meanwhile, back home, Joseph’s family was struggling. They ran out of food and heard that Egypt had plenty, so they traveled there to buy some. When they arrived, they bowed before Joseph—just as he had dreamed years before. His brothers didn’t recognize him, but Joseph knew exactly who they were.
When he finally revealed himself to them, they were terrified because of what they had done to him. But instead of punishing them, Joseph forgave them. He said, “What you meant for evil, God used for good. You tried to harm me, but God used everything that happened to save many lives—even yours.”
God had a plan for Joseph and his family all along. Many years later, Jesus—the Savior of the world—would be born from the family line of one of Joseph’s brothers, Judah. Just as Joseph forgave his brothers, Jesus would come to bring forgiveness to all people.
DISCUSSION
Why can it be hard to trust God when life gets hard?
How can we remind ourselves of God’s faithfulness when bad things happen?
PRAY
Jesus, help us to trust You even when things are not going well for us. Help us remember that you are in control. Thank you for loving us and letting us be a part of your plan.
FAMILY ACTIVITY
Make a Christmas card, or use one you already have, to write a note of encouragement to someone. Let your card be a reminder of God’s goodness, his love and his plan for our lives. We can trust God because he is always with us.
You planned to harm me. But God planned it for good. He planned to do what is now being done. He wanted to save many lives.
-Genesis 50:20
REFLECT
Joseph came from a big family, he had eleven brothers! His father, Jacob, loved him very much. Out of all his sons, Joseph was his dad’s favorite. One day, Jacob gave Joseph a beautiful coat of many colors.
To make things even harder for his brothers, Joseph had dreams that one day they would bow down to him. When he told them about his dreams, his brothers became jealous and angry. Their jealousy turned to hatred.
One day, when Joseph went to check on his brothers in the fields, they tore off his colorful coat and threw him into a pit. Later, they sold him to slave traders traveling to Egypt—hoping to get rid of him forever.
Even though Joseph’s life had turned upside down, he continued to trust God. He worked hard as a servant, but soon found himself in prison for something he didn’t do. Still, Joseph remained faithful to God.
One night, Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, had a strange dream about skinny cows eating fat cows. No one could explain what it meant—until Pharaoh heard that Joseph could interpret dreams. Pharaoh sent for him, and Joseph explained that the dream meant there would be seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine.
Pharaoh was so impressed that he put Joseph in charge of gathering food during the good years so Egypt would have enough when the famine came.
Meanwhile, back home, Joseph’s family was struggling. They ran out of food and heard that Egypt had plenty, so they traveled there to buy some. When they arrived, they bowed before Joseph—just as he had dreamed years before. His brothers didn’t recognize him, but Joseph knew exactly who they were.
When he finally revealed himself to them, they were terrified because of what they had done to him. But instead of punishing them, Joseph forgave them. He said, “What you meant for evil, God used for good. You tried to harm me, but God used everything that happened to save many lives—even yours.”
God had a plan for Joseph and his family all along. Many years later, Jesus—the Savior of the world—would be born from the family line of one of Joseph’s brothers, Judah. Just as Joseph forgave his brothers, Jesus would come to bring forgiveness to all people.
DISCUSSION
Why can it be hard to trust God when life gets hard?
How can we remind ourselves of God’s faithfulness when bad things happen?
PRAY
Jesus, help us to trust You even when things are not going well for us. Help us remember that you are in control. Thank you for loving us and letting us be a part of your plan.
FAMILY ACTIVITY
Make a Christmas card, or use one you already have, to write a note of encouragement to someone. Let your card be a reminder of God’s goodness, his love and his plan for our lives. We can trust God because he is always with us.