My Help Comes from the Lord! Children’s Message on Psalm 121
Main Objective: Where do we go for help? Young children are familiar with the concept of needing assistance with things, and depending on age, might be quite accustomed to asking for help. Sometimes we need support physically, or we might want help answering a question or figuring out how to do something. These days, people of all ages might seek help from the internet when questions arise. There are people we can go to with questions or worries. However, all of our human help (and technology guidance) is imperfect and can let us down. This message highlights how our true support and protection come from the Lord our God, who made all things and promises to be with us always.
Don’t miss the complete Sunday School Lesson on Psalm 121, with related children’s sermon, Sunday School craft activities, and Bible lesson for kids.
Law/Gospel Theme: We are not alone! Children and adults often find ourselves in need of support. We can turn to a lot of things seeking help, but it is God who promises to always come to our aid. He never rests or sleeps, and will always be with us and guide us. Night or day, he keeps us from harm and loves us. It is a hopeful and wonderful reminder to kids that no matter what goes on around us, God is present and ready to help!
Optional Materials: Toolbox, books, phone, map, computer/tablet, etc.; Bible
Bible Passage: Psalm 121:1-8
Children’s Sermon Lesson Plan / Object Lesson
Message: Note: As with most messages, the details of how you choose to communicate this are adaptable and should cater to timing as well as to your audience and student needs.
Greet children, and discuss things that require assistance…
Hello, children of God!
Where do you go when you need help with something? I guess it sort of depends what you need help with, since there might be different things that require assistance. For instance, if I wanted help cooking something, I might look in a cookbook to find a recipe (hold up props as you go, according to what you have available). The cookbook will tell me what ingredients I need to make something, and will guide me through how to put them together. A cookbook would help me know how to cook. Or let’s say I wanted to know more about a place, or how to do a hobby. I could look at a map to see where things are, or I could read a book that tells me more about something. Well, okay, these days, I could probably find a lot on the internet, too… Or maybe I need to fix something. I might have a toolbox full of items that could help me…but what if I don’t know how to use the tools, or pick the right ones? I guess then I’d be back to the internet search. Or I could call someone that might know. I could use my phone to ask a parent, or friend, or expert who knows more than I do…
The problem is, a lot of these “helpers” are not always reliable. I mean, I might call someone who doesn’t wind up answering their phone. Or maybe I look up the wrong fact, or the wrong recipe, and I wind up making a mistake. Perhaps I find an unreliable website and don’t really get the help I need. These human “helpers” will not always come through for me. But I know of one source of help that will always be reliable. You can probably guess who it is… God!
The Lord has promised to always be with us, and we know that we can trust Him for anything and everything we need in our lives. We don’t see God with our eyes, and we might not hear Him like we hear our mom or dad, but we know that He is always there and wants to hear from us. We have God’s Word, the Bible, to guide us through questions we might have. There is a wonderful passage in the Bible, in the book of Psalms, that reminds us how we can look to God for help. It says that our help does not come from looking up at the hills, but from looking up at Him, the one who made all things. The Psalm goes on to say that God will not let anything happen to us. In fact, He doesn’t even sleep! We need daily rest, but God does not. He never goes to sleep. He is always watching over us and taking care of us. In the daytime or the nighttime, He is there. He wants to help us, and loves us more than we can imagine. He wants to hear our prayers and always listens when we call to Him.
There might be times when we don’t quite think we “feel” or hear God, and that’s okay. We rely on His word to know that He is with us and He is for us. He is there in good times and in bad, and promises to keep us and comfort us. Other helpers might fail or flee, but He is always there!
Why don’t we talk to God and ask for His help right now?
Prayer:
(Have kids repeat each line)
Dear God,
Thank you for promising to be with us
And for always helping us
I can peacefully sleep, because you never do!
Thank you for being our help
Thank you for your love
We love you, God!
In Jesus name, Amen!
Bible Verses/story to Reference: Psalm 121
I lift up my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot be moved;
he who keeps you will not slumber.
4 Behold, he who keeps Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord is your keeper;
the Lord is your shade on your right hand.
6 The sun shall not strike you by day,
nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord will keep you from all evil;
he will keep your life.
8 The Lord will keep
your going out and your coming in
from this time forth and forevermore. -Psalm 121:1-8