Today’s Reading:
Read Genesis 37
Jacob, also known as Israel, had 12 sons. (Remember that– it will be important later in our story!). He
lived in the land of Canaan. This is where God led Abraham, Jacob’s grandfather, and his family to live. It
is also where Jacob and his family chose to settle. Out of all 12 sons, Jacob had a favorite; his name was
Joseph. Jacob treated Joseph differently than the other brothers – he even gave him a special coat with
many colors in it. Joseph’s brothers were very jealous of him. Do you know what it means to be
jealous? It means they wanted what Joseph had. They did not like Joseph. Joseph told his brothers
about a dream he had where his brothers were all bowing down to him. His brothers did not like that at
all!
Joseph’s brothers made a very bad choice because they were jealous and angry. They sold Joseph to a
group of travelers going to Egypt. Joseph was taken away from his family because of his brother’s
jealousy and anger. Jealousy is a sin, it is something that separates us from God, and it can make us do
things that will hurt people. (We’ll learn more about what happens to Joseph as we read more in the
Bible!)
Application/Prayer:
Ask God to help you not to be jealous of others. Remember, jealousy is wishing you had what someone
else had. Thank the Lord for all He has given you today!
January Memory Verse:
“All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
Using the daily reading prompts from George H. Guthrie’s Read the Bible for Life, here’s how to use this devotional:
- Bring your Bible! Your kids need to see that everything you are reading to them or learning about comes from an actual Bible!
- Each day starts with a reading prompt. Read the selection as a family. If your kids are readers, encourage them to read along with you.
- After you’ve read the passage, read the short devotional thought that goes along with each passage.
- Prayer and application are important any time we read God’s word! After each devotional, there is a challenge to help apply what your family has read that day.
- There is a reading for six days of the week. The last reading of the week is a Gospel Conversation Prompt to help you connect the reading from the week with God’s plan for salvation.
Other Resources:
january memory verse coloring sheet