This lesson teaches children that David ran to the wrong place when he was scared, and that God still cared for him anyway. It is designed for children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes to teach, including the memory verse and one activity.
Big Idea
When we are scared, we can ask God what to do instead of running on our own plans. God keeps caring for us even when we make a poor choice.
Memory Verse
Psalm 56:3
When I am afraid, I will put my trust in you.
(WEB)
Have children stand tall, put one hand on their heart, and raise the other hand up high when they say the verse together. Then have them bring both hands down slowly while whispering “I trust you, God.” Repeat it three times, getting quieter each time.
The Story: 1 Samuel 27 for Kids
King Saul was still trying to catch David, even though God had chosen David to be the next king. David was tired of running and hiding. He began to say to himself, “One day Saul is going to catch me. I think I should just go and live in the land of the Philistines.”
So David packed up his six hundred men and their families and went to a king named Achish in the city of Gath. Achish was a Philistine king, and Philistines were enemies of Israel. David asked Achish, “Please give us a small town to live in, so we are not living in your big city with you.” Achish gave him a town called Ziklag, and David lived there.
David and his men lived in that land for a full year and four months. While they were there, they went out and attacked some other groups of people who lived nearby. David made sure that no one was left alive to tell Achish what really happened. He did this so Achish would not find out the truth.
Achish asked David where he had been raiding. David told him a made-up story about attacking his own people in Judah. Achish believed him and said, “David has made his own people hate him. Now he will be my servant forever.”
David was lying to Achish, and he was not following God in this chapter. God still kept His promise to David, and David would one day become king. Children can learn that God does not stop loving us when we make mistakes, even big ones.
Read It Together
1 Samuel 27:1
David said in his heart, “I will now perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul will despair of me, to seek me any more in all the borders of Israel. So shall I escape out of his hand.”
(WEB)
Point out that David said these words in his heart before he did anything. Ask children to notice that David was thinking about his fear, not asking God what to do. This shows how easy it is to make plans without praying first.
1 Samuel 27:5-6
5 David said to Achish, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, let them give me a place in one of the cities in the country, that I may dwell there. For why should your servant dwell in the royal city with you?” 6 Then Achish gave him Ziklag that day: therefore Ziklag belongs to the kings of Judah to this day.
(WEB)
Show children that David asked Achish for a place to live, and Achish gave him Ziklag. Explain that David was living away from God’s plan and among enemies. Ask them how it feels when we choose a place or path because we are scared.
1 Samuel 27:10-11
10 Achish said, “Against whom have you made a raid today?” David said, “Against the South of Judah, against the South of the Jerahmeelites, and against the South of the Kenites.” 11 David saved neither man nor woman alive, to bring them to Gath, saying, “Lest they should tell about us, saying, ‘David did this, and this has been his way all the time he has lived in the country of the Philistines.’”
(WEB)
Point out that David did not tell the truth about where he had been. Help children see that hiding the truth makes things worse, and that God wants us to be honest even when we feel afraid of what people will think.
Talk About It
- What do you think David felt when he was running away from Saul?
- Why do you think David decided to go to the land of the Philistines instead of asking God where to go?
- What is one thing you can do when you feel scared, besides running away?
- Why is it hard to tell the truth when we have made a mistake?
- How can you tell that God still loves you even when you make a bad choice?
Activity Ideas
Draw a Safe Place
You will need paper, crayons or markers, and a pencil. Ask each child to draw a picture of a place where they feel safe, then add a small figure of God standing with them there. Let children explain their drawings, reminding them that God is with them everywhere they go.
Follow the Leader Trust Walk
You will need a open space and a blindfold or a scarf for each pair. Have children pair up, with one child wearing the blindfold while the other gently guides them around the room with spoken directions. Afterward, talk about how it felt to trust someone else to lead, and connect it to trusting God when we cannot see the way ahead.
Take-Home Prayer Card
You will need index cards, a marker, and a small rubber band or ribbon. Write “When I feel scared, I can ask God first” on the card and let children decorate it. Encourage them to keep it in a pocket or backpack and read it when they feel afraid during the week.
Teacher Notes
This chapter shows that even a faithful man like David made choices driven by fear, lying, and leaving the place God had called him to. Adults can see that God’s promises do not depend on our perfect behavior, and that God stays faithful to His plan even when we wander. It is an honest picture of a real person who still trusts God’s larger story.
Avoid suggesting to children that David’s lie was acceptable or that they should copy his fear-based choices. Be clear that David was making a mistake, while emphasizing that God still loved him and was not finished with him.
A Prayer to Close
Dear God, when we feel scared, help us to ask you first instead of running on our own. Help us to tell the truth and to trust that you are always with us. Thank you that you keep loving us even when we make mistakes. Amen.
