they saw him coming they said to each other, ‘Let us kill this dreamer.’
Reuben, the eldest, said, ‘No, he is our brother.’
But the others grabbed him, ripped off his coat, dipped it in blood, and took it to their father, Jacob. ‘A wild animal killed your son,’ they told him. Jacob was heartbroken and tore his clothes, and cried for many days.
But they hadn’t really killed Joseph. They had sold him to strangers who took him to be a slave in a faraway land called Egypt. Joseph was scared and did not understand why this was happening, but God was with Joseph and had a special plan for his life.
Dear God,
help me love my brothers and sisters.
God finds good in all things
Joseph trembled in front of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt.
‘Last night I had a strange dream,’ Pharaoh said. ‘I summoned you because I hear you understand the language of dreams.’
‘It is not I but God who will reveal the meaning of your dream,’ Joseph said.
‘Seven fat cows came out of the river, followed by seven thin cows,’ Pharaoh said. ‘And then the thin ones ate up the fat ones!’
‘For seven years there will be plenty,’ Joseph explained, ‘and then for seven years not a drop of rain will fall, and there will be no food to eat. If you store grain now, there will be enough when the drought comes.’
Pharaoh saw that Joseph was wise and made him governor of Egypt. After seven years, just as Joseph had said, there came a terrible drought.
Joseph’s brothers came to beg for food and bowed down before the mighty governor. When they realized it was Joseph, they trembled, afraid that he would punish them. But Joseph’s love for his family was stronger than his anger. Joseph threw his arms around his brothers and kissed them.
He said, ‘What you intended for harm, God intended for good. God has used us to save the world from hunger. Bring our family to live in Egypt so they will be safe.’
Dear God,
let my love be stronger than my anger.
God protects his children
Miriam watched her mother place her baby brother into a basket floating on the river. Miriam looked around nervously for soldiers.
It had been many years since Joseph and his brothers had died. Now a wicked Pharaoh ruled Egypt. He had forced Joseph’s descendants, called the Hebrews, into slavery and ordered every Hebrew baby boy to be killed.
Miriam’s mother cried as she pushed the basket into the reeds. ‘Watch over him,’ she said. Miriam quietly followed the basket as it floated down the river.
Her baby brother began to cry. Miriam gasped as she saw one of Pharaoh’s daughters coming to bathe in the river. Would she turn the baby over to the soldiers?
Pharaoh’s daughter picked the baby up and rocked him gently in her arms.
‘Poor little thing. This must be one of the Hebrew babies,’ she whispered. ‘He needs a mother.’
Miriam came out from behind the reeds and said, ‘I know a Hebrew woman who can nurse the baby for you.’
Pharaoh’s daughter gave the baby back to his own mother and said, ‘When he is old enough, bring him to the palace, so I can raise him as a prince. I will name him Moses, since I “drew him out of the water.”’
Dear God,
thank you for loving and protecting your children.
God commands Moses
The Voice from the Burning Bush
When Moses grew into a man, he looked after his father-in-law’s sheep and goats in the desert. One day he saw a bush burning, but – to his amazement – the leaves were still green! His heart was pounding as he walked closer.
‘Moses! Moses!’ God called out from the bush.
Moses shook and covered his face with his hands. ‘Here I am,’ he said.
Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.
Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».
Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.
Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.
