In Good Hands
Week 9 • Aug 31-Sept 6, 2024
FAMILY THEME
GOD PROVIDES
“To be continued...” How often have we read those words in the back of a book or on a screen at the end of a TV episode? It can be exciting (and a bit of a relief) to know the story’s not over yet.
No matter what you are facing, there’s something God wants you to know: your story is not over yet.
God’s story is so much bigger than we could ever know. This month, you’ll learn how Joseph faced some of the worst circumstances imaginable, but still trusted all the while that God was working behind the scenes. You’ll read about God’s promises to Jacob and will see how, thanks to Jesus, we get to take part in those very promises today. God’s story is the grandest one of all, and the best part is, God wants you to be part of it.
1Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all his attendants, and he cried out, “Have everyone leave my presence!” So there was no one with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers.
2And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh’s household heard about it.
3Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still living?” But his brothers were not able to answer him, because they were terrified at his presence.
4Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come close to me.” When they had done so, he said, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt!
5And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.
6For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will be no plowing and reaping.
7But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.
8“So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt.
9Now hurry back to my father and say to him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says: God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; don’t delay.
10You shall live in the region of Goshen and be near me—you, your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and all you have.
11I will provide for you there, because five years of famine are still to come. Otherwise you and your household and all who belong to you will become destitute.’
12“You can see for yourselves, and so can my brother Benjamin, that it is really I who am speaking to you.
13Tell my father about all the honor accorded me in Egypt and about everything you have seen. And bring my father down here quickly.”
14Then he threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin embraced him, weeping.
15And he kissed all his brothers and wept over them. Afterward his brothers talked with him.
16When the news reached Pharaoh’s palace that Joseph’s brothers had come, Pharaoh and all his officials were pleased.
17Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers, ‘Do this: Load your animals and return to the land of Canaan,
18and bring your father and your families back to me. I will give you the best of the land of Egypt and you can enjoy the fat of the land.’
19“You are also directed to tell them, ‘Do this: Take some carts from Egypt for your children and your wives, and get your father and come.
20Never mind about your belongings, because the best of all Egypt will be yours.’ ”
21So the sons of Israel did this. Joseph gave them carts, as Pharaoh had commanded, and he also gave them provisions for their journey.
22To each of them he gave new clothing, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels of silver and five sets of clothes.
23And this is what he sent to his father: ten donkeys loaded with the best things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and other provisions for his journey.
24Then he sent his brothers away, and as they were leaving he said to them, “Don’t quarrel on the way!”
25So they went up out of Egypt and came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan.
26They told him, “Joseph is still alive! In fact, he is ruler of all Egypt.” Jacob was stunned; he did not believe them.
27But when they told him everything Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the carts Joseph had sent to carry him back, the spirit of their father Jacob revived.
28And Israel said, “I’m convinced! My son Joseph is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”
Have you ever seen a little child throw a fit in the middle of a store or restaurant? It can be embarrassing for both the parents and the people within earshot of the screams. While the parents might have to discipline the child or leave the public area, one thing is sure: good parents will continue providing for their children. Discipline might be in order, but provision is there as well.
God provided deliverance for Joseph’s brothers from the horrible famine, even though they really didn’t deserve it. God even delivered them through the brother they sold into slavery. God’s willingness to take care of people hasn’t changed a bit. God provides for all of my needs in spite of my imperfections, habitual harmful actions, and shortcomings. God extends mercy and provision to the undeserving all the time. We should follow God’s example and do the same for others as well.
In what ways have I seen God provide for me? Do I usually take notice of God’s provisions, or do I sometimes overlook what God has given me?
As God provides for us, we are given the opportunity to provide for others. Talk with your family about ways you can provide for a neighbor, a friend, an elderly person in your church, etc.
Prosperity After Turning to the Lord
1When all these blessings and curses I have set before you come on you and you take them to heart wherever the Lord your God disperses you among the nations,
2and when you and your children return to the Lord your God and obey him with all your heart and with all your soul according to everything I command you today,
3then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you and gather you again from all the nations where he scattered you.
4Even if you have been banished to the most distant land under the heavens, from there the Lord your God will gather you and bring you back.
5He will bring you to the land that belonged to your ancestors, and you will take possession of it. He will make you more prosperous and numerous than your ancestors.
6The Lord your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live.
7The Lord your God will put all these curses on your enemies who hate and persecute you.
8You will again obey the Lord and follow all his commands I am giving you today.
9Then the Lord your God will make you most prosperous in all the work of your hands and in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your land. The Lord will again delight in you and make you prosperous, just as he delighted in your ancestors,
10if you obey the Lord your God and keep his commands and decrees that are written in this Book of the Law and turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
While putting away Christmas decorations last winter, I accidentally dropped a ceramic snowman. He shattered into a million pieces that scattered in every conceivable direction. When I told my husband about my slain snowman, he offered to restore it for me. Unfortunately, Frosty’s condition warranted far more than Super Glue. His restoration required a miracle.
God graciously offered the miracle of complete restoration to the people of Israel in today’s verses. They were extremely broken, yet the Lord promised to put them back together and make them mightier than ever before. God only asked that
they turn their hearts back to begin the process. God provides the same miraculous restoration for us. God also requires the same heart-turning to get it done. No matter how far or how hard we have fallen, our Lord can make us better than ever.
What broken dreams, relationships, or situations has God restored for me? What action was required on my part? How did I respond?
The prophet Jeremiah believed that in order to restore, God actually does the breaking. Check out Jeremiah 18:1-8.
Of David.
1Do not fret because of those who are evil
or be envious of those who do wrong;
2for like the grass they will soon wither,
like green plants they will soon die away.
3Trust in the Lord and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
4Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
5Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him and he will do this:
6He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,
your vindication like the noonday sun.
7Be still before the Lord
and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.
8Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
do not fret—it leads only to evil.
9For those who are evil will be destroyed,
but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.
10A little while, and the wicked will be no more;
though you look for them, they will not be found.
11But the meek will inherit the land
and enjoy peace and prosperity.
12The wicked plot against the righteous
and gnash their teeth at them;
13but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
for he knows their day is coming.
14The wicked draw the sword
and bend the bow
to bring down the poor and needy,
to slay those whose ways are upright.
15But their swords will pierce their own hearts,
and their bows will be broken.
16Better the little that the righteous have
than the wealth of many wicked;
17for the power of the wicked will be broken,
but the Lord upholds the righteous.
18The blameless spend their days under the Lord’s care,
and their inheritance will endure forever.
19In times of disaster they will not wither;
in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.
20But the wicked will perish:
Though the Lord’s enemies are like the flowers of the field,
they will be consumed, they will go up in smoke.
21The wicked borrow and do not repay,
but the righteous give generously;
22those the Lord blesses will inherit the land,
but those he curses will be destroyed.
23The Lord makes firm the steps
of the one who delights in him;
24though he may stumble, he will not fall,
for the Lord upholds him with his hand.
25I was young and now I am old,
yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken
or their children begging bread.
26They are always generous and lend freely;
their children will be a blessing.
27Turn from evil and do good;
then you will dwell in the land forever.
28For the Lord loves the just
and will not forsake his faithful ones.
Wrongdoers will be completely destroyed;
the offspring of the wicked will perish.
29The righteous will inherit the land
and dwell in it forever.
30The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom,
and their tongues speak what is just.
31The law of their God is in their hearts;
their feet do not slip.
32The wicked lie in wait for the righteous,
intent on putting them to death;
33but the Lord will not leave them in the power of the wicked
or let them be condemned when brought to trial.
34Hope in the Lord
and keep his way.
He will exalt you to inherit the land;
when the wicked are destroyed, you will see it.
35I have seen a wicked and ruthless man
flourishing like a luxuriant native tree,
36but he soon passed away and was no more;
though I looked for him, he could not be found.
37Consider the blameless, observe the upright;
a future awaits those who seek peace.
38But all sinners will be destroyed;
there will be no future for the wicked.
39The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord;
he is their stronghold in time of trouble.
40The Lord helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in him.
Completing the Avon 39 Breast Cancer Walk is one of my dearest dreams. It’s also a bit daunting. I am far from an exercise fanatic. In fact, my idea of a good workout is a leisurely stroll through the park with a few hills thrown in to rev up my heart rate. Participants in the Avon 39 walk—you guessed it—39 miles in two days. Just typing those words made me tired. I still want to do
it, though. Avon recommends tackling the walk with a partner who can sustain you to the end. Herein lies a problem: most of my friends are as lazy as I am!
I highly recommend walking through life with a partner who can sustain you when the going gets tough. The psalmist described this perfect partner in today’s verses. God will hold you up, and even if you stumble, God won’t let you fall. God will see you through to the end.
How does God sustain me when my faith grows weak and I consider giving up?
Trust God to sustain you in your relationship-led walk. You don’t have to go it alone.
Isaiah 61:1-7
The Year of the Lord’s Favor
1The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,
2to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
3and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the Lord
for the display of his splendor.
4They will rebuild the ancient ruins
and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
that have been devastated for generations.
5Strangers will shepherd your flocks;
foreigners will work your fields and vineyards.
6And you will be called priests of the Lord,
you will be named ministers of our God.
You will feed on the wealth of nations,
and in their riches you will boast.
7Instead of your shame
you will receive a double portion,
and instead of disgrace
you will rejoice in your inheritance.
And so you will inherit a double portion in your land,
and everlasting joy will be yours.
Luke 4:16-21
16He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read,
17and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
18“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
19to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
20Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him.
21He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
I worked at a fast food restaurant in high school to help me pay for sport fees and my cell phone bill. One day, I had the closing shift and had to walk home afterwards. It was after 10 p.m., but the path home
was well-lit so I did not feel scared. What I did feel was freezing cold since it was winter and snow was literally everywhere. When I made it to my front door after thirty minutes of walking, I quickly realized I did not have my house keys! I started scrambling, retracing my steps only to visualize my keys sitting on my bedroom counter. I rang the doorbell countless times to no response and remembered that my family was out. It was over for me! After five minutes, which felt like five years, my mom returned home and let me in with her. I was delivered!
Isaiah prophesied the joyous news of a coming Deliverer. Hundreds of years later, Jesus arrived to free humanity. Jesus is still in the saving business.
From what harm, suffering, and danger has God delivered me? Who needs to hear my story?
Continue reading in Luke 4. Check out the deliverance Jesus brought forth in two different areas-spiritual and physical-in verses 31-39.
Treasures in Heaven
19“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.
21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light.
23But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
24“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
Do Not Worry
25“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?
26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
27Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
28“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.
29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.
30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?
31So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.
33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
The late Bob Marley sang, “Don’t worry ‘bout a thing. Cause every little thing is gonna be all right.” Marley might have given good advice in telling us not to worry, but he was wrong about one thing: every little thing is not going to be all right. Even though God provides for us in glorious fashion, you and I will still wage war with acne. We will still fight with friends. We will experience struggles every day because of sin in the world. Thankfully, the little things won’t kill us, even though we feel that way on occasion. The big things, like shelter, food, and water—Jesus promised to provide these, and He will even throw in the small stuff if we seek Him first. The not-so-Marley lesson of today’s verses: Life won’t be perfect, but Jesus will provide what we need. However, we must seek His kingdom first and not get sidetracked by the ways of the world.
Verse 25 tells me I should not be anxious about anything. Do I struggle with anxiety? How can I begin placing my worries in the hands of God?
Memorize verse 21 from today’s reading. Let it remind you not to get too hung up on the pursuit of anything but Jesus.
The Ministry of Reconciliation
11Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade others. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience.
12We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart.
13If we are “out of our mind,” as some say, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you.
14For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.
15And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
16So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.
17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
18All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:
19that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.
20We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.
21God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
What in the world did we ever do without texting and social media? You may be too young to remember the “good
old days” when people had to wait by the house phone or the mailbox to hear from a friend. Now a simple ding on our phone lets us know we have a message waiting for us. Every emoji, GIF, invitation, and random question from our pals is treated as critical enough to deliver immediately.
The truth is many of us share truth in the same way we shared messages in the “good old days.” We use a method that causes us to drag our feet, take our
time, and delay the news that needs to be shared. We should be sharing the message of Christ’s reconciliation with everyone we know at any chance we get. As the passage says, if we are in Christ, we are a new creation. The old is gone. The new has come. That’s a message worth sharing right now!
Who needs to hear my story of reconciliation with Christ? How will I encourage these people to seize reconciliation themselves?
Don’t utilize social media posts as your sole method of sharing your faith. Form real, in-person relationships with those who need to be reconciled to God. Don’t hide behind your phone, tablet, or laptop.
