Sunday School Lesson February 13, 2022
Subject: The Pitfall of Hard Times
The Point: Trust God to see you through any crisis.
The Passages: Genesis 41:28-32,47-54
Study The Bible: Genesis 41:28-32
1). Seek God’s wisdom.
- “It is just as I told Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do.
- Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt.
- After them, seven years of famine will take place, and all the abundance in the land of Egypt will be forgotten. The famine will devastate the land.
- The abundance in the land will not be remembered because of the famine that follows it, for the famine will be very severe.
- Since the dream was given twice to Pharaoh, it means that the matter has been determined by God, and he will carry it out soon.
Lasting truths from: Genesis 41:28-32
* God has revealed much about His plans through His Word.
* Sometimes life’s great challenges eclipse our memory of God’s great blessing in the past.
* We need to seek God’s wisdom for our challenges, because God is able to deal with them.
2). Follow God’s plan.
Genesis 41:47-49
- During the seven years of abundance the land produced outstanding harvests.
- Joseph gathered all the excess food in the land of Egypt during the seven years and put it in the cities. He put the food in every city from the fields around it.
- So Joseph stored up grain in such abundance—like the sand of the sea—that he stopped measuring it because it was beyond measures.
Lasting truth from: Genesis 41:47-49
* We need to follow God’s plan for our lives.
* We should evaluate prayerfully how to handle excess resources God sends our way.
* God is able to pour our blessing beyond measure.
3). Be fruitful even in famine.
Genesis 41:50-54
- Two sons were born to Joseph before the years of famine arrived. Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest at On, bore them to him.
- Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh and said, “God has made me forget all my hardship and my whole family.”
- And the second son he named Ephraim and said “God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.”
- Then the seven years of abundance in the land of Egypt came to an end,
- and the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. There was famine in every land, but in the whole land of Egypt, there was food.
Lasting truth from: Genesis 41:50-54
* God is able to help us make peace with our past.
* God can give us fruitful ministry wherever we are.
* God’s purpose vastly exceeds what we can even imagine.
Live It Out
As you reflect on this session, respond to the following questions:
- Consider a crisis or challenge for which you have either had to seek God’s wisdom or for which you are seeking God’s wisdom now. How does even the act of prayerfully seeking God’s wisdom encourage us in our spiritual journey?
- Read Romans 12:9-21 reflectively and ask God how He might help you apply these principles to help you grow spiritually.
- Consider what it might look like for God to answer your prayers beyond what you are asking. How can you keep a lack of faith from hindering your prayer life and look to God for great works?
Closing Prayer:
“Dear God, I know I am a sinner. I believe Jesus died on the cross to forgive me of my sins and rose from the dead to give me new life. I’m sorry for all the wrong I’ve done and ask You to forgive me. I now accept Your gift of eternal life. Thank You for Your love, forgiveness, and a new life in Jesus Christ. From this day forward, I choose to follow You. In Jesus’ name Amen.”