God Takes Care of Me (First Steps Devotions) (5 page)

When have your friends told you to do the wrong thing?

What happened?

If you had to choose between obeying God and following your
friends, which would you choose? Why?

Rahab had heard about the Israelites. She knew God was
taking care of them. She knew the Israelites would soon take the city she was
living in.

One day two Israelite spies came to Rahab’s house. When the
king of her city heard about the men, he sent soldiers to arrest the spies.
They demanded that Rahab let them have the men.

What should Rahab do? She had to decide whether to follow
her friends or God. Rahab decided to hide the men. She knew they were from God.
Rahab chose God’s side.

Later, the Israelites took over Jericho, Rahab’s city. But
they did not forget Rahab. They protected Rahab and her family.

Rahab was saved. She chose to obey God rather than follow
her friends. God protected her. Rahab had new friends, the Israelites. They
believed in God, just as Rahab did.

What happens when you follow your friends and disobey God?

How can you obey God and follow your friends at the same
time?

Name something impossible.

What makes it impossible?

God promised the people of Israel a special land. It was
time for them to move into that land. But people were already living there. One
city, Jericho, even had a large wall around it.

God told Joshua that the Israelites would take over Jericho
with His help. God told the people of Israel to march around Jericho once a day
for six days. Then, on the seventh day, the Israelites got up early in the
morning. That day they marched around Jericho seven times.

On the last march around the wall, Joshua said to the people
of Israel, “Get ready to shout! The LORD will let you capture this town.”
Everyone shouted. Then the wall of Jericho fell to the ground. The Israelites
obeyed God. And God did the impossible!

Name a time God did the impossible.

What did He do?

Why was it impossible?

Dear God, I know You can do the impossible. Help me to trust
You to do the impossible in my life. Help me to obey You and to allow You to
take care of me.

When did you wish a day would not end?

Do you think that could ever happen? How?

God helped the Israelites take over the city of Jericho, The
king of Jerusalem saw how God took care of the Israelites. He was scared. He
sent a message to some of die other kings. “Come and help me,” he said.

They did. The armies from five cities got together to fight
against the Israelites. But God took care of the Israelites again.

“Don’t be afraid,” God told Joshua. “I will help you defeat
them.” The Israelites surprised the armies. They ran for their lives. The
Israelites could not catch everyone.

Joshua asked God for help. God made the sun and the moon
stand still. It stayed daylight for an extra day. God also sent large
hailstones in the path of those who were running from the Israelites and struck
them down. God took care of the Israelites’ problems.

When has God given you more time in a day?

What happened?

Dear God, I know You can do anything. Give me the time to do
what You want me to do. Help me to use that time wisely.

Has God ever spoken to you?

What did He say?

How did you know it was God?

The people of Israel were in the land God had given them. It
was a beautiful land. But people from Midian had taken over their land. The
Israelites were very sad.

They cried out to God and God heard them. He spoke to
Gideon, “I am giving you the power to rescue Israel from the Midianites.”

But Gideon had to be sure God was really sending him. He put
a piece of wool on the floor. “If you really will help me rescue Israel, then
tomorrow morning let there be dew on the wool, but let the stone floor be dry,”
Gideon told God.

He woke up early the next morning. The floor was dry. But
the wool was dripping wet! Gideon was still not convinced.

“Don’t be angry at me,” he said to God. “Let the wool be dry
and the stone floor be wet with dew.” The next morning that was exactly what
happened. Gideon knew God would take care of him and the Israelites.

How do you know when God wants you to do something?

How do you know when God is speaking to you?

Dear God, please help me to listen to You. Show me when You
are speaking to me. Help me always to do what You tell me.

Your teachings are sweeter than honey.

Psalm 119:103

Can you think of a time when your team had fewer players
than the other team and still won?

What happened? Why were you able to win?

Gideon gathered his men together to fight the Midianites.
“Your army is too big,” God told Gideon. “The Israelites would think that they
had won the battle all by themselves.” God wanted the Israelites to know that
He was saving them.

Gideon told everyone who was scared to go home, and 22,000
men went home. There were 10,000 men left. God told Gideon that was still too
many.

Gideon told everyone to go down by the river. He watched how
each man took a drink from the river. Most of the men got down on their knees
to drink. Only 300 men cupped water in their hands and lapped it. God told
Gideon only the 300 would be the army of Israel.

The 300 men defeated all the armies of Midian. God gave the
land back to the Israelites.

Would you rather be on a small team with God to help you or
a big team without God’s help? Why?

Which team would win?

How can you make sure you’re on God’s team?

Dear God, I want to be on Your team. I know sometimes we
will be outnumbered by others. But as long as You are helping me, we will never
lose.

Have you ever had to do something hard? What was it?

Why was it hard?

Ruth lived in Moab. One day Ruth met a man from Judah. His
father had died. He and his brother lived with their mother, Naomi. Soon he and
Ruth got married. His brother married Orpah. Orpah was from Moab, too.

Both couples were married about ten years. Then both brothers
died. Orpah and Ruth were alone again.

“Don’t you want to go back home to your own mothers?” Naomi
asked Ruth and Orpah. Orpah and Ruth cried. They did not want to return home.
Finally Orpah left. But Ruth would not leave.

So Ruth returned with Naomi to her home in Judah. Soon Ruth
met another man, Boaz. Boaz and Ruth were married. They had a son, Obed. Later
Obed had a son, Jesse. And Jesse had a son, David. David became king of Israel.
Ruth’s great-grandson was David, king of Israel.

Ruth did something hard, and God took good care of her.

Name a time God told you to do something hard.

Did He help you do it? What happened?

Did it lead to something better? How?

Dear God, help me to always obey You even when You ask me to
do hard things. I know even then You will take care of me.