The Writer of Our Story

Bible Reading: Genesis 45:4-8

At dinner, Maggie noticed her parents seemed quiet and tense. Her older brother, Matt, seemed to notice too and tentatively tried to break the silence. “I feel bad for the main character in the book I’m writing,” he said. “He just went through so many hard things, including the death of his grandmother. I’m just glad I know what’s going to happen in the end, and why he had to go through all that.”

At this, Dad sighed. “Well, Matt, you’ve given me the perfect opening.” Looking back and forth from Maggie to Matt, he said, “I’m not going to be working at the marketing firm anymore. The firm needed to make budget cuts, and I was one of the ones who had to be let go.”

Maggie’s eyes grew wide. “What are we going to do, Dad? Why would God let this happen?”

Mom spoke up. “Maggie, it’s okay. We have money saved for something just like this. As for why God would let this happen, I don’t know. But when facing hardships in life, I find it helpful to remember the story of Joseph. He was betrayed by his own brothers, sold as a slave, and thrown in jail. But God used all that to put Joseph in a position of power and save His people from a famine. He brought good from the bad.”

Dad leaned forward. “It’s like Matt’s book. The character just went through a lot of bad things. If he were real, he would probably be very scared and confused, like we are now. But Matt, as the writer of his story, knows what will happen in the end. He’ll make everything work out and be okay. And God is the Writer of our story. We don’t have to be afraid, because He is in control, even when it looks like the story will end badly. But God has promised us a good ending, with Jesus coming back to make everything right and us living with Him forever. No matter what happens, we have that promise. Let’s trust Him to help us through this.”

Maggie and Matt nodded. Maggie closed her eyes and said a quick, silent prayer. Lord, thank you for taking care of us. Please help me trust that You, our Writer, are in control. Amen. • Natalie Crowe

How About You?

Has something scary happened in your life? Maybe a parent lost their job or a family member died. It can be easy to doubt God in scary times, but remember that He is the Writer of our story. Even when bad things happen to us, He uses them to bring about a good ending. We don’t have to be afraid, because He is in control.

Today’s Key Verse:
Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (NIV)

Today’s Key Thought:

God is always in control