Session 11
Joseph’s recommendation to Pharaoh.
33 “So now, let Pharaoh look for a discerning and wise man
and set him over the land of Egypt.
34 Let Pharaoh do this:
Let him appoint overseers over the land
and take a fifth of the harvest of the land of Egypt
during the seven years of abundance.
35 Let them gather all the excess food during these good years that are coming.
Under Pharaoh’s authority, store the grain in the cities,
so they may preserve it as food.
36 The food will be a reserve for the land during the seven years of famine
that will take place in the land of Egypt.
Then the country will not be wiped out by the famine.”
37 The proposal pleased Pharaoh and all his servants.
Believers can demonstrate trust when responding to God’s plans.
Discerning
This designates knowledge that is superior to information gathering.
While the Hebrew verb translated “to know” generally designates the process by which a person gains knowledge through experience,
the verb rendered “to discern” refers to the power of judgment and perceptive insight that is demonstrated in the use of knowledge.
Such discernment is a gift of God and is not automatic.
It requires diligence and character.
(See Prov. 3:5-6.)
Steps to solving a problem.
suggest an effective process for analyzing problems and finding solutions.
Allow a couple of volunteers to
share their own process for solving problems and when they have put that process into practice.
share Pharaoh’s response from Genesis 41:38-44.
why was this a wise course of action?
Joseph’s plan provided a solution.
By trusting God in prison, he put himself in a position to be used by God.
The steps toward fulfilling Joseph’s dreams as a teenager were still moving forward more than a decade later.
Review these points from Apply the Text on page 108 of the Personal Study Guide:
Invite the group to rank these statements from “easiest” to “hardest.”
Encourage adults to talk with God this week about building on the one they find easiest and improving the others.
Lead the group to reflect on and evaluate their own lives by addressing the following questions:
How can you demonstrate your trust in God when He reveals His plans to you?
How do you demonstrate your trust in Him when you are unable to discern His will? (PSG, p. 108)
Close the session by praising the Lord
for His guidance.
Ask Him to guard the hearts of each adult
and to teach them how to faithfully seek
and obey God’s plan for them.
Reinforce the study by encouraging the group to reflect on how they are trusting in God’s plan for their life even when the way may seem unclear. Send the group a text or email letting them know that you are praying for them. Be sure to ask them to share specific ways you can pray for them during the week.
Secure a copy of the lyrics of
“Trust in You” by Lauren Daigle.
If possible, play the song in the background as the group arrives.
Allow volunteers to highlight some of the words and phrases in the song that are important to them.
Lead a brief discussion on how the emotions expressed in the song might have been true for Joseph in prison.
At the end of the session, play the song again.
Read the chorus and encourage the group to reflect on what it means to totally trust Christ even when life doesn’t go as we expected.