God Takes Care of Me (First Steps Devotions) (2 page)

When was the last time you heard about something really bad
happening to someone? What happened?

God was not happy. Many people did not obey God. They did
not love God. They made God very sad. “I’m sorry I ever made them,” God said.
“I’ll destroy every living creature on earth!”

But Noah loved God. He tried to please God. God wanted Noah
to be safe. He told Noah to build an ark, a big boat. Noah and his family would
live in the ark. The ark would keen them safe.

Soon it started to rain water fell from the sky all day and
all night. Water was everywhere. But God kept Noah safe. Noah loved God. God
watched over Noah and his family.

Name a time God kept you safe.

Did you thank Him?

Dear God, I know You keep me safe many times, and I do not
even know it. Thank You for watching over me. Remind me that You watch over me.

Do you know people who are mean to you?

What do they do that is mean?

What can you do about it?

Do you have an uncle? Abram was Lot’s uncle. Lot and his
family lived in Sodom. Abram was nice to Lot. He tried to help him.

One day some men attacked Sodom. Many people who lived in
Sodom ran for their lives. Others were taken prisoner. The men made Lot and his
family prisoners. They even took everything away from Lot.

One of the people who escaped came to find Abram, Lot’s
uncle. He told Abram what had happened. Abram got all his men together. Then he
went to rescue his nephew, Lot.

God saved Lot. He sent Abram to rescue Lot. Sometimes God
sends people to save us, too.

Name a time God saved you from people who acted mean.

Did God use other people to help you?

Did you thank them? Did you thank God?

Dear God, thank You for protecting me. Thank You for letting
other people help me. Help me always to remember to thank You.

Does your family get together at holidays?

Do some relatives live somewhere else?

Abram loved God. He tried to obey God. God loved Abram, too.
One night God spoke to Abram. He told him to go outside.

“Look at the sky and see if you can count the stars,” God
said. Abram looked up. There were so many stars he could not count them all.

“That’s how many descendants you will have,” God said.

Abram did not understand. God had not yet given him any
children. But he believed God. Soon Abram and his wife had a son. His name was
Isaac. Many more children and grandchildren were born, too. God changed Abram’s
name to Abraham, which means “father of many.” God keeps His promises. We can
always trust God.

What did Abram do when God promised him a large family?

What should we do when God gives us a promise?

Name another promise God has given in the Bible. Has He kept
it

Dear God, thank You for Your promises. Thank You for always
keeping Your promises. Help me to trust You more.

Who are your best friends? What do you like to do most with
them?

Do you think God wants you to have nice friends?

It was time for Isaac, Abraham’s son, to get married.
Abraham wanted Isaac to marry someone from Abraham’s homeland. Abraham sent his
servant back to the homeland.

As he stood by a well, Abraham’s servant prayed to God,
“Please let me find a wife for Isaac today.” He knew that the young woman who
gave him and his camels a drink would be the one God had chosen for Isaac.

Soon a beautiful young woman came to the well. The servant
said to her, “Please let me have a drink of water.”

The young woman gave him a drink. Then she said, “Now I’ll
give your camels all the water they want.” The servant knew God had given Isaac
a wife. The young woman’s name was Rebekah. She and Isaac would be very happy
together.

Ask your mom and dad how they knew who God wanted them to
marry.

What kind of person would God want you to marry?

Dear God, thank You for giving me friends and a family.
Thank You for giving me people to love.

What does it mean that “God blesses people”?

One night Jacob was alone. A man wrestled with him. They
kept wrestling and wrestling. They wrestled all night long.

The man said to Jacob, “Let go of me! It’s almost daylight.”
But Jacob would not let him go. “You can’t go until you bless me,” Jacob told
him. “Your name will no longer be Jacob. Your name will be Israel,” the man
said. Then the man blessed Jacob.

Jacob had twelve sons. Jacob’s grandchildren became the
nation of Israel. They were special to God. God did many wonderful things for
them.

How has God blessed people you know?

Have you asked God to bless you?

Have you thanked God for blessing you?

Dear God, thank You for blessing us. Please bless me in my
life. Help me to do the things that will please You.

When was the last time you did something mean to someone?

Did it make that person mad?

Did he or she do something mean to you?

What was it? Did you deserve it?

Jacob and Esau were twins. Esau was born first, so he was to
get the family’s special blessing. But Jacob cheated Esau out of the blessing.
Esau was mad. Jacob ran away because he was scared of Esau.

Many years passed. Jacob and Esau were both adults. They had
children of their own. One day Jacob saw Esau coming toward him. He had 400 men
with him! Jacob was scared.

As soon as Esau saw Jacob, he opened his arms and hugged
Jacob. The two brothers, Jacob and Esau, cried in each other’s arms!

God protected Jacob. And He brought the two brothers back
together

How did God keep Jacob safe?

Name a time God straightened out a problem between you and a
family member or a friend.

Dear God, help me to get along with my family and my
friends. Help me to be kind to everyone. Thank You for helping me in my
friendships.

Has something ever happened to you that you thought was bad,
but it turned out to be good?

What happened? How did it turn out good?

Jacob had 12 sons. But Joseph was his favorite. That made
Joseph’s brothers very mad. They did not like Joseph. They wanted to teach him
a lesson.

One day Joseph’s brothers saw him coming. “Let’s kill him
and throw him into a pit,” they said. But Reuben, the oldest brother, had a
better idea. “Let’s not kill him,” Reuben said. “Just throw him into a dry
well.” So that is what Joseph’s brothers did.