God Will Surely Visit you

‘Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to save many people alive, as is happening today. Now therefore don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your little ones.” He comforted them, and spoke kindly to them. ‘ Genesis 50:19-21

Spending time in nature

For today’s outside activity, play a trust game. There are various trust activities you can play both indoors and outside. If you have a hula-hoop join hands and see if you can move it from one end of the human chain to the other and back again. Again, with a hula-hoop, you can have everyone form a circle and extend a single index finger. Rest the hula-hoop on the fingers and see if you can lower it to the ground. If you don’t have enough to support a hula-hoop, grab a stick and try working together to move this object to the ground. There is always the classic fall trust exercise, have someone turn away from their partner and, as stiff as a board, fall backward. If you want to put a family spin on this activity, stand in a circle; have one family member in the middle who slowly falls back. Once someone catches them, gently push them along to the other members of the family. Each trust activity should have rules in place to ensure everyone feels safe. Joseph was entrusted with bringing his father back to Canaan to wait for the Lord with Jacob’s wife, Leah. With this act of love, the founding fathers were gathered together, waiting to be reunited. There is no doubt that God would have been able to call Jacob’s bones up from Egypt, but being put to rest next to his wife, parents, and grandparents meant his next thought would be his family. As we navigate this world, there is no greater earthly treasure than our family. No matter what activity you play, remember trust is a pillar that holds the family up.

Tip

Listening to one another and following through promises fosters trust in a relationship; this trust signals to children that they can go to you with any problem.

Do Something Creative

For a messy craft create a paper mache cave. You’ll start by covering the crafting area with news paper, blow up a balloon, and place the balloon on the balloon container (it’s best if it is slightly narrower than the balloon). Next you’ll mix the flour and water, and dip the strips of paper into the mixture and gently remove excess paste, before placing on the balloon. Keep laying down paste covered strips until most of the balloon is covered and there is a single opening. Once the strips are dry pop the balloon and paint if desired.

What you will need:

Family worship idea

For Family worship, read Genesis 49:28- Genesis 50; have everyone draw a simple object, animal, or person. Once the story is finished, each person should have something that anyone else in the family can draw with simple instructions. Now pair everyone up. One person will tell the other(s) how to draw their picture with simple instructions. The key is to not say if they are drawing an object, animal, or person. Just give them simple directions. An example for someone who sketched a cat would be: draw a circle, draw two peaks on top of the circle with a small distance between them, draw two small circles inside the larger circle that are parallel to the peaks, and so on. Afterward, compare drawings. When God gives us a message, we don’t always know what the complete picture looks like. The right parts might not always be in the right places, or our interpretation might be missing a detail. What we do know is God is in charge. He will ensure the right leaders are put in power or knowledge is offered at the right time. God promises that He won’t leave us in the dark; we just have to maintain our faith and patience. When Jacob brought his family to Egypt, he knew their fate; he was aware they would be mistreated, but he also knew they would return to the promised land at the right time.

Personal thoughts

When studying Joseph’s life, there are moments when the plan of salvation is so clear, but this chapter has me pondering two numbers. The first is how long it took the Egyptians to embalm Jacob. The word “embalm” only appears four times in the Bible. Three of those occurrences are here in Genesis 50; the other is in Mark 16:1. Embalming was a process to anoint all over with balm; especially, to preserve from decay… filling the body with aromatics and drugs that may resist putrefaction. Using the day for a year principles (Numbers 14:34, Ezekiel 4:5-6, Daniel 9:24-27, Genesis 29:27), it took a whole generation to prepare this prophet to return home. When Jesus returns to escort us home to those pearly gates, it should be no surprise that some prophets are there to greet us. I don’t know if Jacob is in heaven or if he is still resting, waiting for the first resurrection when he’ll see his father and grandfather taken to heaven. What I do know is there is hope. Joseph would later be carried to the promised land as bones. Abraham’s family would all be in the Canaan with the return of Israel in another 400 years. The prophets rested; the living would journey with Moses at their lead, and Joseph, represents the dead being carried to the land with milk and honey. This is a promise to us that one day we will all be gathered together as a family. 

Hiding His word in your ❤

‘I (the Lord) declare the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done. I say: My counsel will stand, and I will do all that I please. ‘

Isaiah 46:10