God Takes Care of Me (First Steps Devotions) (6 page)

When was the last time you were really unhappy? Why?

Do you think your sadness made God sad?

Hannah was sad. She did not have any children.

One day Hannah went to the temple. She was so upset that she
cried. “LORD,” Hannah prayed, “please let me have a son. I will give him to you
for as long as he lives.” Hannah was so upset that her mouth was moving, but no
words were coming out. Have you ever been that upset?

Eli, the priest, saw Hannah and wondered what was wrong with
her. “I do feel miserable and terribly upset,” Hannah explained to Eli. “I’ve
been telling the LORD about my problems.”

“Go home now,” Eli told Hannah. “I’m sure the God of Israel
will answer your prayer.” Hannah went home. Soon she was the mother of a baby
boy. Hannah named her baby Samuel, which means “heard of God.” Hannah prayed to
God, and God answered her prayer.

Have you ever told God that you were unhappy?

Try it next time you are unhappy.

Do you think God could help you be happy?

Dear God, sometimes I am unhappy because of what is
happening to me. Help me to always follow You. Help me remember that You are
always there to take care of me.

Who is your teacher? In school? In Sunday school?

How does your teacher help you?

Samuel was a gift from God. His mother, Hannah, had asked
God for a child. Samuel was the child God gave her. When Samuel was a few years
old, his mother took him to Eli, the priest.

Hannah told Eli, “A few years ago I stood here beside you
and asked the LORD to give me a child. Here he is! The LORD gave me just what I
asked for. Now I am giving him to the LORD for as long as he lives.”

Samuel’s mother left him with Eli. Samuel did what Eli told
him. Samuel served God. Eli taught Samuel the Bible. Eli taught Samuel about
God.

Eli taught Samuel well. Samuel became a great prophet. God
gave Samuel a good teacher.

Why did God give you teachers?

How can your teachers help you serve God?

How can you learn more from your teachers?

Dear God, thank You for giving me such good teachers. Help
me to learn all I can from my teachers. I want to learn how to serve You.

Have you ever had a friend choose you?

How did it make you feel? Why?

When have you had to choose just one friend?

How did you decide?

Israel needed a new king. “Go visit a man named Jesse,” God
told Samuel. “I’ve chosen one of his sons to be my king.”

Jesse had many sons. Samuel did not know which son God had
chosen. Samuel thought God had chosen Jesse’s oldest son, Eliab. But he was
wrong. God told Samuel, “People judge others by what they look like, but I
judge people by what is in their hearts.”

Samuel saw seven of Jesse’s sons. But God did not choose any
of them. “Do you have any more sons?” Samuel asked Jesse. “My youngest son,
David, is out taking care of the sheep,” said Jesse. “Send for him!” Samuel
said.

God told Samuel that David was the one chosen to become
king. Samuel had to go through David’s seven brothers before he got to David.
But David was the one God had chosen. God has chosen you, too.

What does it mean that God chose you to be one of His
children?

How does it make you feel? Why?

How does knowing God has chosen you help you when you have
problems?

Dear God, thank You for choosing me. Help me always to
remember that You chose me to be one of Your children.

Have you ever faced a problem that you thought was too hard
to solve?

What was it? What happened?

David had a giant problem named Goliath. He was over nine
feet tall!

“I challenge Israel’s whole army!” Goliath yelled. “Choose
someone to fight me!” All the soldiers were scared of him.

David was not scared. “He’s making fun of the army of the
living God!” David said. “I’ll go out and fight him myself!” He knew the Lord
would keep him safe.

So David went out to fight Goliath. But first he stopped at
the brook to pick up five smooth stones.

“You’ve come out to fight me with a sword,” David called to
Goliath, “but I’ve come out to fight you in the name of the LORD All-Powerful.”

Then David pulled out a stone and put it in his slingshot.
He slung the stone at Goliath. It hit him right in the forehead. Goliath fell
down—dead! God took care of David and all the Israelites.

Can God do anything?

Can He solve any problem?

What should you do next time you have a very difficult
problem? Why?

Dear God, thank You for always taking care of me even when
things look difficult. Help me always to trust You, just like David did.

Are you a patient person? When has God not answered your
prayers fast enough?

Have you ever tried solving a problem on your own instead of
waiting for God to solve it? What happened?

God had promised that David would be the next king. But Saul
was the current king. Saul did not like David. He did not like all the
attention David got for killing Goliath.

One day King Saul heard that David was out in the
wilderness. He took 3,000 men with him. He wanted to kill David. But God kept
David safe.

King Saul found a cave near the road. He went inside. Saul did
not know that David was also in that cave. David’s men wanted to kill Saul. But
David would not do that. Saul had been chosen by God to be king of Israel. If
David fought against Saul, he would be fighting against God! So David only cut
part of Saul’s robe.

David let God protect him. He did not try to solve his
problem by himself. Later David became the king of Israel.

Does God need your help? Why? Why not?

Will God solve our problems if we let Him?

What might happen if we try to solve problems God should
solve?

Dear God, thank You for keeping me safe. Help me to let You
take care of me. Help me to trust You more.

Have you ever been asked to do something that was too
difficult for you to do?

What was it? Why was it so difficult? How did you do?

David had been a good king. God was very happy with King
David. But David’s son, Solomon, had become king. He loved God, too. He wanted
to be a good king just like King David.

One night God appeared to King Solomon in a dream. God
promised to give him anything he wanted. “You’ve made me king,” Solomon said,
“but I’m very young. Please make me wise and teach me the difference between
right and wrong.”

Solomon could have asked for anything. He could have asked
God to be a rich man. But Solomon asked God for understanding to help others.
That made God very happy.

God did what Solomon asked. God gave him more, too. He told
Solomon, “You’ll be rich and respected as long as you live.”

God took care of Solomon. He made Solomon a good and wise
king.

Can you name a time when God helped you do something
difficult?

Did you thank Him?

Think of something right now you could ask God to help you
do

Dear God, sometimes You ask me to do things that are very
hard. Many times I am not sure that I can do what You ask. Help me to do what
You ask. Give me the strength to trust You.