God Provides for Me through Other People – Family Devotion – August 19, 2020

Read: Genesis 41:41-49

Joseph collected all the food produced in those seven years of abundance in Egypt and stored it in the cities. In each city he put the food grown in the fields surrounding it. Joseph stored up huge quantities of grain, like the sand of the sea; it was so much that he stopped keeping records because it was beyond measure.
Genesis 41:48-49

God Provides for Me through Other People

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Where does your food come from? There are many ways to answer that question. Some might say, “the refrigerator,” or others might say, “Dad or Mom.” Some might say that their food comes from the grocery store. None of those is wrong, but there is much more to the answer!

Think about a loaf of bread. Where does that bread come from? Well, there are farmers who grow the grain, factories filled with workers who bake the bread and package it. There are drivers who deliver it to the stores, workers who put it on the shelves, and workers in the checkout line when you pay. Of course, in order to pay you also need money. That’s why people have jobs—to earn money so they can buy things like food and clothes and more.

What an amazing puzzle that God pieces together! All of those people and many more are all doing their individual jobs, yet God uses all of them just so that you can have some toast or a sandwich!

This is the way that God works to provide all things in this world. God provides through people who are just like you! He uses farmers, factory workers, construction workers, city leaders, and countless other people so that you can have your home, clothing, food, safety, and so much more.

Today we heard about the special way that God used Joseph to provide for others. Joseph had an incredible story. His brothers were angry with him and tried to get rid of him. He ended up far away from home in Egypt and later was put in jail. Finally, after many hard times, Joseph became second in command in all of Egypt! But God was working behind the scenes in all of this. God worked to put Joseph in that place of leadership so that he could provide for many people.

Joseph had a dream from God that helped him to know that after seven years of extra blessings of food, there would be seven years of famine with almost no food. So Joseph created a plan to save up extra food during the seven good years so that there would be plenty of extra food for the seven bad years. In this way, God used Joseph to store up food and provide for many, many people.

When we understand that God uses us in these amazing ways to provide for and love our neighbors, it helps us to understand that each and every person is important. God uses the police officer, the garbage truck driver, the mailman, the doctor, the nurse, the grocery store clerk, the business owner, and so many more—all are a part of God’s loving plans to provide for you and everyone else! Thank God for the way he provides for people through others, and even through you and me!

Closing Prayer:

Heavenly Father, we thank you for using so many people in this world to provide for us. Please find ways to use us to provide for others, too. Amen.

The questions below are to help families discuss this devotion. The questions are divided by age group as suggestions, but anyone could reflect on any of the questions as they desire.

Questions for Younger Children

• Why is going to work and earning money a blessing for grown-ups?
• Discuss as a family all the people and things that God uses to provide you with a glass of milk.

Questions for Elementary Age Children

• How did God use bad things in Joseph’s life to bring blessings to him and to others?
• God had even bigger plans in mind with Joseph! He also used Joseph to provide for and preserve his own family, the Israelites. Why was that so important?

Questions for Middle School and Above

• Explain why God makes it so that every person’s calling—father, mother, husband, wife, employee, boss—is an important and valuable role?
• What job or career do you want to have some day? How might God use you in that specific job or career to provide for many other people?

Hymn: CW 349:1,4 – Jesus, Priceless Treasure

Jesus, priceless treasure, Fount of purest pleasure, Truest friend to me.
Ah, how long in anguish Shall my spirit languish, Yearning, Lord, for thee?
Thou art mine, O Lamb divine!
I will suffer naught to hide thee, Naught I ask beside thee.

Hence, all earthly treasure! Jesus is my pleasure; Jesus is my choice.
Hence, all empty glory! Naught to me thy story Told with tempting voice.
Pain or loss Or shame or cross
Shall not from my Savior move me Since he deigns to love me.