One piece of the puzzle

Parent Introduction:  We live in scary times.  But then again, when have times not been scary.  Open the bible to most any story and you will read of scary times.  This is nothing new, but fear can overwhelm all of us, no matter what age we are.  Scripture tells us that when we remember who our God is, that is He sovereign over ALL things, over all circumstances, over all people,  we actually have nothing to fear.

One Piece of the Puzzle is a reminder to us that we should not lean on our own understanding of our circumstances, but should trust in the Lord.  God knows and sees all things, we can only see a small piece of his big picture, just one piece of a very big puzzle.

In this devotion we will be looking at the story of Joseph.  The story is long, and can take approximately 15-20 minutes to read out loud.  For this reason, I suggest using a children’s bible or storybook bible if this is too long for your children. I would especially recommend using The Jesus Storybook Bible.  If your family does not have this bible, I cannot recommend it enough. 

In the opening activity you will need several puzzle pieces. It is important that your child not be familiar with the puzzle pieces given out, so use as small a puzzle piece as possible and a puzzle your child is not familiar with.  Each family member will need a piece.  Select pieces that do not go together, and if possible are very different colors.  Do not pick any pieces that clearly show a picture of what they are.   

Materials You Will Need: 

·         Bible, or children’s story bible which includes the story of Joseph.

·         Puzzle – preselect a puzzle piece for each family member

·         3 colors of crayons, pens or colored pencils 

·         Scissors

·         1 piece of paper

Opening activity: Give each member of your family a piece of a puzzle.

Discussion Questions:
1. What is your piece a picture of?
2. Is your puzzle piece a whole picture or just a piece of a puzzle?
3.  Pretend for a minute that your puzzle piece is the whole puzzle. It is a one piece puzzle.  What is the picture? 
4. Does the picture make any sense?
5.  Try to put together all the puzzle pieces that your family has.  What is the picture of?  Does it make sense?

It is silly to look at one puzzle piece or even  a handful of them and think we can know what the whole puzzle is.  One puzzle piece is not its own picture, it is a piece in a bigger picture.  Our lives can be like these little puzzle pieces.  We can look at something happening in our life right now and say, “this doesn’t make any sense!”  We can find ourselves asking, “Why did this happen?”  “Why did God allow this to happen? 

 Discussion Question:

·         Can you think of a situation that is either happening now or has happened recently that seems frightening or bad?  It can be happening to your family, or in the world such as a hurricane or fire.   Take time to discuss that situation(s).

We can point to several situations going on and not understand them.  But each of these situations is like our puzzle piece.  They are just one part of a bigger picture.  Scripture tells us that God is sovereign over all things.  Sovereign means that He has full knowledge and control.  Proverbs 3:5-6 says: Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight. 

·         What does it mean to lean on your own understanding?

To lean on our own understand is to think we can understand everything that happens.  Of course we can’t.  It is like looking at your one puzzle piece and thinking you can understand what the whole puzzle will be.  God on the other hand has all the puzzle pieces, He is the only one who knows the whole picture, which is why we are told to trust in the Lord and not lean on our own understanding.

When we read stories from the bible, we can see pictures of how God used situations, like puzzle pieces, to come together for His Glory and often the good of the person in the story.  We are going to read the story of Joseph.  While the story is being read,  think about how the different events in Joseph’s life must have made him feel while they were happening. 

Reading:  Jesus Storybook Bible “A Forgiving Prince,” other children’s bible telling of the story of Joseph, or Genesis 37, 39:1 - 46:4.

Family Activity:  Many things happened in this story.  Many individual things that were not very nice for Joseph or his father and brothers. 

1.       Write down each of the individual events that happened in this story.  Write them out separately on one a sheet of paper so that the entire piece of paper is used.  You should have at least 6 events.  Use one color pen for things that happened to Joseph and a different one for his father or brothers. 

2.       Cut your paper into pieces around each of the things you wrote down.  Make sure every piece of paper that is cut out has something written on it. (No scraps)

3.        Spread out the pieces around your table so everyone can see them.  Mix them up. 

4.       Discuss some or all of the individual things that happened in this story.  They were sad, especially for Joseph.  How would Joseph must have felt during these times. 

5.       After your discussion, put your paper back together. 

6.       Discuss the story of Joseph as a whole picture.  Did God mean good or bad for Joseph and his family?

Joseph and his family faced many trials, but because of those trials Joseph was put in a situation to help his brothers and all their families when the famine came to Canaan.  Joseph put his trust in the Lord and not in his own understanding of what was going on.  Because of that, Joseph was able to say to his brothers, “And 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.” Genesis 45:5.  In the middle of all those situations, God never left Joseph or his father or brothers, He was working out a bigger plan.

Just as God never left Joseph or his family, He will not leave our family.  That is why we must remember Proverbs 3:5-6.  Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight. 

Prayer:  Close your family devotion time in prayer.  Pray for the ability to trust in God for the situation that you discussed at the beginning of your devotion time.  Praise God for being a good and sovereign God who works together all things for good. 

Just for Fun: Pour out the puzzle that the opening activity pieces came from and finish the puzzle.  It will be a great reminder that God is pulling the pieces of your life together into a beautiful picture.