This lesson teaches children that God is good and that his love never runs out, so we can thank him for everything he has done. Ages 5 to 11 can learn it, and it takes about 20 to 30 minutes, including a short story, a memory verse, and a simple activity.
Big Idea
God is good, and his love lasts forever. That is a reason to say thank you to him every day, for big things and small things.
Memory Verse
Psalm 136:1
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his loving kindness endures forever.
(WEB)
Put one hand over your heart and lift the other hand up high as you say the verse out loud. Then clap twice on the word “forever” so children feel the rhythm and remember that God’s love never ends.
The Story: Psalm 136 for Kids
Psalm 136 is a song that God’s people sang to thank him. Each line ends with the same words, like a chorus that everyone can join in. The singers started by saying thank you to the LORD, because he is good and his love lasts forever. They sang it again and again so nobody could forget it.
The song next remembers what God made. He made the big sky, the wide earth, and the sun to shine in the day. He made the moon and stars to shine at night. Every time the singers pointed to something God made, they sang, “His love lasts forever.” Imagine a choir pointing up at the sun and down at the ground while they sing together.
Then the song tells about a time long ago when God’s people were slaves in Egypt. God sent great trouble on Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, until Pharaoh let them go. God then opened the Red Sea so his people could walk across on dry ground. When the Egyptian army came after them, the water came back together and stopped them. The people could only say, “God, you saved us!”
God did not stop there. He took care of his people for forty years in the desert, and he led them to a new land. The song says he remembered his people when they were weak and sad, and he rescued them from their enemies. Think of a family that was lost and found again, and how happy they would be to say thank you.
The song ends by reminding everyone that God gives food to every living creature. Even the birds, the fish, and the animals depend on him each day. The last line calls us to give thanks to the God of heaven, because his love lasts forever. A child might say, “God takes care of the whole world, and he takes care of me too.”
Read It Together
Psalm 136:4-5
4 To him who alone does great wonders; for his loving kindness endures forever: 5 To him who by understanding made the heavens; for his loving kindness endures forever…
(WEB)
Point out the words “who alone does great wonders” and “by understanding made the heavens.” Ask the children to name one wonder of God’s making they can see from the window. Help them see that the same love that made the sky is the love that goes with them today.
Psalm 136:13-15
13 To him who divided the Red Sea apart; for his loving kindness endures forever; 14 And made Israel to pass through the middle of it; for his loving kindness endures forever; 15 But overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea; for his loving kindness endures forever…
(WEB)
Show children how the song remembers the Red Sea rescue. Point out that God made a way through the water for his people and that the chorus still repeats. Explain that remembering what God has done helps our faith grow strong.
Psalm 136:23-25
23 Who remembered us in our low estate; for his loving kindness endures forever; 24 And has delivered us from our adversaries; for his loving kindness endures forever: 25 Who gives food to every creature; for his loving kindness endures forever.
(WEB)
Read these verses slowly and point out that God remembers his people when they are in trouble. Mention that he also gives food to every creature. Ask the children to think about who in their life helps them get what they need, and then remind them that God is the one behind every good gift.
Talk About It
- What is one thing God made that you think is amazing, and why?
- Why do you think the song repeats “his love lasts forever” after every line?
- How did God help his people when they were trapped by the Red Sea?
- What is one good thing you have today that you can thank God for?
- How can you remind yourself to say thank you to God when you are sad or worried?
Activity Ideas
Thank You Sun Drawing
You will need paper, crayons or markers, and scissors. Have each child draw a large sun, moon, or star and write one thing they want to thank God for on the back. Hang the drawings on the wall as a reminder that God’s love lasts forever.
Red Sea Walk Game
You will need two long strips of blue paper or a blue cloth laid on the floor. Lay the strips a few steps apart to make a path between them. Children walk through the path one at a time while everyone sings the chorus “His love lasts forever,” then clap as each child reaches the other side.
Take-Home Thank You Jar
You will need a clean jar, small slips of paper, and a pencil. Give each child a jar and a few slips of paper to take home. Each day for a week, they write one thing they are thankful for on a slip, fold it, and drop it in the jar. At the end of the week, read the slips together as a family and thank God for each one.
Teacher Notes
Psalm 136 teaches that God’s steadfast love, the word often translated “loving kindness,” lasts forever and shows up in creation, in rescue, and in daily provision. For adults, the psalm models a habit of remembering God’s past faithfulness as a basis for trusting him in the present. Its repeating refrain was likely meant to be sung together by worshipers, which is why it is so easy for children to join in.
Avoid overstating to children that every hard thing will be solved quickly or that giving thanks will always make a problem disappear. The psalm celebrates God’s faithfulness across generations, and children should hear that God is good even when life is hard, without being promised a particular outcome.
A Prayer to Close
Good God, we thank you because you are good and your love lasts forever. Thank you for the sun, the moon, the stars, and the food we eat. Thank you for helping your people and for helping us today. Help us remember to say thank you every day. Amen.
