Week of June 23: God Has a Plan

Memory Verse

“For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.” Jeremiah 29:11 (NRSV)

The Lesson

For the past two Sundays, our children have discussed the story of Ruth. The entire book is only four chapters. Read all of it, or portions of it, as a family this week.

Allow your children to summarize the story as much as they are able. Use the scripture text to reinforce important points or fill gaps they may have in their memory from our lessons at church. You may want to use this video to “prime the pump.”

In the story of Ruth, much can be said of her commitment to love and care for her mother-in-law, Naomi. This week, the children focused on 1) Ruth’s hard work in the fields, gleaning wheat, and 2) on the role of Boaz as the next-of-kin and redeemer figure for Naomi and Ruth, since Naomi’s husband and sons all died.

The Book of Ruth closes with a very important genealogy, that of King David. Our lesson emphasis is found here. God had a plan for Ruth’s life. Through her marriage to Boaz, Ruth would become the grandmother of King David and would forever remain in the lineage of Jesus! Through a very difficult time, Ruth was faithful to Naomi and God was faithful to Ruth. He had a very special plan for her life!

So What?

During Kids’ Own Worship this week, the children played a memory game that matched certain careers. The point of this game was to reinforce the idea that God has a plan for each child’s life.

Share with your child(ren) your personal testimony about God’s plan for your life. (Be sure to include the very important part about being a mom or dad to your special little one!) Did you know at a young age what God wanted you to do with your life? When did you know? Maybe you are feeling called into something new, even now. Help your child understand that God speaks to all of us in a unique way to let us know that we have a purpose in God.

If your child already has a notion of calling, help him or her discover more about that and incorporate this discovery into daily prayers.

We Pray

Dear God, I am so glad that you are in control and that you have a plan for me! Even when things are difficult, I believe that you have a perfect and loving plan. Help me to always trust you and your plans for my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.