This lesson teaches children that God notices people who feel small or forgotten and lifts them up. It is built for ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes, so you can use it with a whole class or at home with one or two children.
Big Idea
God is great, and He cares about everyone, especially people who feel small, left out, or sad. We can praise Him for it every day, in the morning and at night.
Memory Verse
Psalm 113:3
From the rising of the sun to the going down of the same, the LORD’s name is to be praised.
(WEB)
Teach children to stand tall with arms stretched up like the sun rising, then bring their arms down slowly as the sun goes down. Do this motion each time you say the verse together. Repeat it three times, getting a little louder.
The Story: Psalm 113 for Kids
Long ago, a singer wrote a happy song to God. He called out to the servants of the LORD and told them to praise God’s name. The song was not just for one day. The singer wanted people to praise God from morning until night, and forever.
The singer looked up at the sky. He saw how high God is, higher than all the nations and higher than the heavens. Then he asked a question: who is like our God? No one is like Him. He sits on a high place, and yet He bends down to look at us here on the earth.
The song tells us something very special about God. He sees people who are poor and people who are hurting. He lifts them up out of the dust, like someone pulling a friend out of the mud. The singer said, “God lifts the needy from the ash heap.” God gives them a seat with the honored people of His family.
The song also tells about a woman who had no children and felt very sad about it. God made a home for her, and she became a joyful mother. The singer sang, “God settles the woman in her home as a happy mother of children.” Her sadness was turned into joy.
At the end, the singer shouted again, “Praise the LORD!” He wanted everyone to remember that God is kind, strong, and always near. Our hearts can join the song too.
Read It Together
Psalm 113:4-6
4 The LORD is high above all nations, his glory above the heavens. 5 Who is like the LORD, our God, who has his seat on high, 6 Who stoops down to see in heaven and in the earth?
(WEB)
Point out that God is high above everything, yet He still bends down to look at us. Ask children to notice the words “stoops down” and show what it looks like to bend down to help someone small.
Psalm 113:7-8
7 He raises up the poor out of the dust. Lifts up the needy from the ash heap; 8 that he may set him with princes, even with the princes of his people.
(WEB)
Show children that God lifts up people who are poor or needy. Explain that the “ash heap” was a place where people with nothing had to sit, so being lifted up means being given a place of honor.
Psalm 113:9
He settles the barren woman in her home, as a joyful mother of children. Praise Yah!
(WEB)
Help children see that God brings joy into hard situations. Point out the change from sadness to happiness, and ask them to think about a time they felt sad and how something good came afterward.
Talk About It
- What does it mean that God is higher than the heavens, and how does that make you feel about Him?
- Why do you think God bends down to look at people here on the earth?
- Who are some people you know who sometimes feel small or left out?
- How can we help lift someone up the way God lifts people up?
- What is one thing you want to praise God for today?
Activity Ideas
Sunrise and Sunset Drawing
You will need paper, crayons or markers, and a pencil. Ask each child to draw a sunrise on one side of the paper and a sunset on the other. Write the verse “From the rising of the sun to the going down of the same” along the bottom, or help younger children copy the words. Let them color the sky however they like and talk about how God’s name is worthy of praise all day long.
Lift Me Up Game
You will need a open space and a few soft pillows or stuffed animals. Have one child sit on the floor pretending to be “in the dust.” Others gently help lift that child up onto a pillow or chair while saying, “God lifts up the needy.” Switch roles so every child gets a turn being lifted. Finish by praising God together.
Thankful Jar at Home
You will need a clean jar, scrap paper, and a pen. Keep the jar in a visible place at home. Each day, invite your child to write one thing they are thankful to God for and drop it in the jar. At the end of the week, read the notes aloud together as a family and thank God for each one.
Teacher Notes
For adults, Psalm 113 is a short hymn of praise that calls God’s people to worship Him at all times. It declares that the LORD is supreme over every nation, yet He personally cares for the poor, the needy, and those who feel forgotten, including a barren woman who has no children. It shows that God’s greatness and God’s tenderness belong together, and that praise is the natural response of anyone who has been lifted up by Him.
When teaching children, avoid overstating the promise of material wealth or of guaranteed children. The psalm celebrates God’s faithful care for the lowly, not a formula that every poor person will be rich or every childless woman will have a baby. Keep the focus on God’s character: He sees, He lifts up, and He brings joy.
A Prayer to Close
Dear God, we praise Your name today and every day. Thank You for being higher than the heavens and for bending down to see us. Help us lift up people who feel small, just as You lift up those in need. We love You and trust You. Amen.
