Elementary Level, Block 3—Jacob and Joseph
Week 29
Joseph—Hard Worker and Reliable
Point to Emphasize: We can be those who work hard and are reliable.
Reference Reading: Genesis 41
Memory Verse: But you be strong and do not let your hands fail, for there is reward for your labor. (2 Chronicles 15:7)
Story Sample
One day Pharaoh had two dreams and was troubled, as he did not know what they meant. He called all the magicians and all the wise man to help him understand his dreams. But no one could interpret his dreams. This is when the cupbearer remembered Joseph! The cupbearer told Pharaoh that there was a Hebrew boy named Joseph, who was still in prison, who had interpreted his dream. So Pharaoh called for Joseph. Do you think Joseph could interpret Pharaoh’s dreams? Of course he could! Not because he could do it, but because God would be the one doing it and giving peace to Pharaoh.
Joseph told Pharaoh that in his dreams God was telling him what was about to happen. Do you know what was going to happen? There were going to be seven years of abundance of food followed by seven years of severe famine. Can you imagine having seven years in which the land does not produce any food? This is terrible! People were not going to have anything to eat! A lot of people could die! Joseph advised Pharaoh that he needed to set a man over the land of Egypt that would be discerning and wise to plan what to do. Who would that man be?
Joseph knew exactly what Pharaoh needed to do in order to have food available during the years of famine. Joseph came up with a plan. They needed to gather part of the food that was being produced during the years of abundance and save it so they would have food stored for the years of famine. Isn’t that a wonderful plan? Pharaoh and all his servants liked Joseph’s idea. Now, who was going to do it? Pharaoh said to Joseph, “there is no one as discerning and wise as you.” WOW! I don’t think Joseph was expecting that! Pharaoh set Joseph to rule over the whole land of Egypt!
Joseph was a wise man. For the next seven years in which the land produced a lot of food, Joseph kept storing it. How was he able to store all this food? The Bible says Joseph put the food in the surrounding fields within each city. Joseph stored the grains in barns. This was a BIG job. I have no doubt that during all those years Joseph was working hard. He not only came up with a plan. He also put that plan to work. I’m sure he was not lazy. I’m sure he would wake up every morning and labor hard in all he needed to do. You see, God can’t use lazy people for the things He needs to do. God only uses people that are reliable.
Don’t you want to be a hard working person? Don’t you want to be reliable? I’m sure you do! Don’t think that being a hard worker only applies to adults. As children in Kindergarten or First Grade, you can be hard working and reliable persons!
One of the tasks I enjoy is washing dishes. Since I was very little, my mom would ask me to help her in the kitchen. I learned from a very young age to be a hard working person. First of all, I would plan how I would do it. I always started with the utensils. Then, I would soap and rinse all the cups. Afterwards, I would do all the plates. Finally, I would do all the pots and pans. Even if my younger siblings were playing next to me, once I started that task I would not pause until the job was done! I thank my mom for teaching me to be this way! [Storyteller, insert your own personal story.]
I hope that we all go home today and practice to be like Joseph! Let’s be those that see a need, come up with a plan and are reliable to see it through! Let’s be like Joseph!