Teaching

Our SuperTruth says: “I will trust God and His plan for me.” It is easy to trust God when things are going well and His plan lines up with our plan, right? Joseph was very excited about his dreams. He couldn’t wait to share the dreams God had given him with his family. Joseph must have thought that his life was going to be a successful adventure from that point on. But what was the reaction of his older brothers?Anger, jealousy.

When we create our own plans, do we like to include difficult tasks, hard times, ups and downs, and twists and turns? No!

Lay out the rope between you and the children in a straight line, then walk from one end to the other as you say: Our plan is for things to go as quick and straight as possible from start to finish—like this rope. If your plan is to become a professional soccer player, would you put in your plan to spend five years in a junior league before you went to the pros? No!

Would you put in a delay of a year for a bad injury? No!

You wouldn’t purposefully put those things in your plan! But, more often than not in life, things happen that you didn’t plan for.

Yes, Joseph must have thought God’s plan for his life would look like this straight rope—smooth sailing! But, then what happened? Let’s look at God’s plan for Joseph. Joseph was his father’s favorite son; he had just gotten a gift of a beautiful, colorful coat!

As you describe Joseph’s life below, adjust the rope’s position, moving it up, down, and sideways, with twists and turns to indicate the ups and downs of Joseph’s life. See illustration for an idea.

• When Joseph received that coat, life was good! God gave him two dreams that meant he would someday rule over others, including his family. Curve rope up for a high point.
• Joseph was thrown into a well by his brothers and sold into slavery in Egypt. Curve rope down to a low point.
• Even so, Joseph was faithful and became head of Potiphar’s household. Curve rope up higher but not past the middle area, as he was still a slave in Egypt.
• He was falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife and thrown into prison! Curve rope lower. Joseph was put in charge of an area of the prison. Curve rope up to middle again.
• Joseph interpreted a dream for the Pharaoh’s cupbearer who was under his charge in jail. Joseph hoped the cupbearer would tell Pharaoh about him so he could be freed! Curve rope up a bit.
• But, the cupbearer forgot Joseph for 2 whole years! Curve the rope down. 
• When Pharaoh had a dream, the cupbearer finally remembered Joseph, who interpreted Pharaoh’s dream and was made second in command to Pharaoh. Curve the rope up past the middle.
• Joseph was re-united with his brothers and father, and they lived together in Egypt. Curve the rope up to finish.              

Is this rope straight anymore? No!

God’s plan for Joseph’s life really had some ups and downs! You see, God sees a much bigger picture than we do. We often see just the world directly around us—a very small picture compared to what God sees. We must be patient and trust God and His will for our lives, like Joseph did! When we do, God will bless us; and we will accomplish God’s plan—not only for us, but others, too! Read Genesis 45:7–8:

Joseph said, “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.”

Joseph now recognized that he had to go through all he did for a much bigger purpose than he ever imagined! He was put in a position by God to save thousands of people from starvation, including his own family!

Discipleship Challenge/Practical Application

Distribute a Trust Necklace Pattern and a 24-inch piece of gold ribbon, yarn, or string to each child. Have the children write their names on the back of the pendant and assemble the necklace according to the instructions. Be prepared to help children with special needs. Assist them as necessary with tying the ribbon. Read Genesis 41:41-42:

Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I hereby put you in charge of the entire land of Egypt.” Then Pharaoh removed his signet ring from his hand and placed it on Joseph’s finger. He dressed him in fine linen clothing and hung a gold chain around his neck.

Pharaoh placed his own ring on Joseph’s finger and put a gold chain around his neck. The ring and necklace represented Pharaoh’s authority. Pharaoh put Joseph in charge of preparing Egypt for the famine that Joseph had predicted. When we see this necklace, let’s remember that God has a plan for us and that we can put our complete trust in Him.        

Our challenge for these three lessons is to notice when you encounter any kind of difficult situation—such as when someone hurts your feelings, or you are tempted to do something wrong. Instead of reacting the way you normally do, stop and take time to pray. Ask God to show you how to respond in a way that will please Him and bring Him glory.

For example: You hear that a friend said something unkind about you. Perhaps you would normally react by saying something unkind about that person! Instead, stop and pray, then trust God for His answer. He will show you how to act with kindness, forgiveness and love instead of getting mad or upset. You will have a chance to share your challenge results with the class the next time we meet.   

Joseph trusted God and responded in a godly way to difficult events in his life. Because Joseph trusted God and followed His plan, God blessed him, brought favor to his life, and accomplished His will.