God Takes Care of Me (First Steps Devotions) Read Online Free Page B

Thinking Step
    Can you think of a time when your team had fewer players
than the other team and still won?
    What happened? Why were you able to win?
The Listening Step
    Gideon gathered his men together to fight the Midianites.
“Your army is too big,” God told Gideon. “The Israelites would think that they
had won the battle all by themselves.” God wanted the Israelites to know that
He was saving them.
    Gideon told everyone who was scared to go home, and 22,000
men went home. There were 10,000 men left. God told Gideon that was still too
many.
    Gideon told everyone to go down by the river. He watched how
each man took a drink from the river. Most of the men got down on their knees
to drink. Only 300 men cupped water in their hands and lapped it. God told
Gideon only the 300 would be the army of Israel.
    The 300 men defeated all the armies of Midian. God gave the
land back to the Israelites.
The Talking Step
    Would you rather be on a small team with God to help you or
a big team without God’s help? Why?
    Which team would win?
    How can you make sure you’re on God’s team?
The Praying Step
    Dear God, I want to be on Your team. I know sometimes we
will be outnumbered by others. But as long as You are helping me, we will never
lose.
Thank God for letting our Lord Jesus Christ give us the victory!
1 Corinthians 15:57
God Gave Ruth a Family
Ruth 1—4

The Thinking Step
    Have you ever had to do something hard? What was it?
    Why was it hard?
The Listening Step
    Ruth lived in Moab. One day Ruth met a man from Judah. His
father had died. He and his brother lived with their mother, Naomi. Soon he and
Ruth got married. His brother married Orpah. Orpah was from Moab, too.
    Both couples were married about ten years. Then both brothers
died. Orpah and Ruth were alone again.
    “Don’t you want to go back home to your own mothers?” Naomi
asked Ruth and Orpah. Orpah and Ruth cried. They did not want to return home.
Finally Orpah left. But Ruth would not leave.
    So Ruth returned with Naomi to her home in Judah. Soon Ruth
met another man, Boaz. Boaz and Ruth were married. They had a son, Obed. Later
Obed had a son, Jesse. And Jesse had a son, David. David became king of Israel.
Ruth’s great-grandson was David, king of Israel.
    Ruth did something hard, and God took good care of her.
The Talking Step
    Name a time God told you to do something hard.
    Did He help you do it? What happened?
    Did it lead to something better? How?
The Praying Step
    Dear God, help me to always obey You even when You ask me to
do hard things. I know even then You will take care of me.
Those who trust the LORD will find new strength. They will be strong like
eagles soaring upward on wings; they will walk and run without getting tired.
Isaiah 40:31
God Gave Hannah What She Wanted
1 Samuel 1:1-20

The Thinking Step
    When was the last time you were really unhappy? Why?
    Do you think your sadness made God sad?
The Listening Step
    Hannah was sad. She did not have any children.
    One day Hannah went to the temple. She was so upset that she
cried. “LORD,” Hannah prayed, “please let me have a son. I will give him to you
for as long as he lives.” Hannah was so upset that her mouth was moving, but no
words were coming out. Have you ever been that upset?
    Eli, the priest, saw Hannah and wondered what was wrong with
her. “I do feel miserable and terribly upset,” Hannah explained to Eli. “I’ve
been telling the LORD about my problems.”
    “Go home now,” Eli told Hannah. “I’m sure the God of Israel
will answer your prayer.” Hannah went home. Soon she was the mother of a baby
boy. Hannah named her baby Samuel, which means “heard of God.” Hannah prayed to
God, and God answered her prayer.
The Talking Step
    Have you ever told God that you were unhappy?
    Try it next time you are unhappy.
    Do you think God could help you be happy?
The Praying Step
    Dear God, sometimes I am unhappy because of what is
happening to me. Help me to always follow You.