This lesson teaches children that God comforts His people and gives strength to those who wait on Him. It suits children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes, including a short story, a memory action, and an activity.
Big Idea
God is strong and never gets tired, and He cares for His people like a shepherd cares for his sheep. When we wait for Him, He gives us new strength.
Memory Verse
Isaiah 40:31
But those who wait for the LORD will renew their strength. They will mount up with wings like eagles. They will run, and not be weary. They will walk, and not faint.
(WEB)
Have children stand up and flap their arms slowly like wings. Then have them run in place, and finally walk slowly, saying “wait, run, walk” together. The motion shows that God helps us keep going.
The Story: Isaiah 40 for Kids
A long time ago, God’s people, the Israelites, were far from home. Their city of Jerusalem had been broken, and many of them felt sad and forgotten. They thought God had stopped caring about them. God sent a prophet named Isaiah to tell them something wonderful.
Isaiah told them that God wanted to comfort them. He asked a messenger to call out to Jerusalem and say that their hard time was over and their wrongs were forgiven. Then the messenger shouted that a road should be made ready for God to come home to His people. Valleys would be raised up, and hills would be made low, so that everyone could see Him coming.
Isaiah reminded the people that people are like grass. Grass dries up and flowers fade, but God’s word stands forever. He said that God is like a shepherd who gathers the lambs in His arms and gently leads the mothers sheep. The mighty God who measured the oceans in His hand is the same God who cares for each small lamb.
Then Isaiah asked a question that made the people think. Who is like God? No idol made of gold or wood can compare to Him. He sits above the whole earth, and the people of the earth look as small as grasshoppers to Him. He is never weary, and He never forgets anyone.
Isaiah told the tired people that God gives power to those who feel weak. Even young people get tired, but the people who wait for the Lord will get new strength. Their hearts were full of hope again.
Read It Together
Isaiah 40:1-2
1 “Comfort, comfort my people,” says your God. 2 “Speak comfortably to Jerusalem; and call out to her that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received of the LORD’s hand double for all her sins.”
(WEB)
Point out that God begins with the word comfort. Ask children to say comfort with you and talk about a time someone comforted them, like a hug after a scraped knee.
Isaiah 40:11
He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will gather the lambs in his arm, and carry them in his bosom. He will gently lead those who have their young.
(WEB)
Show children how a shepherd carries a lamb close to his chest. Explain that God takes the same kind of gentle care of His children, even the smallest ones.
Isaiah 40:29
He gives power to the weak. He increases the strength of him who has no might.
(WEB)
Ask children when they feel weak or tired. Remind them that God is the one who gives strength when we do not have much of our own.
Talk About It
- What is one way you feel comforted when you are sad or scared?
- Why do you think God called His people lambs when He talked about caring for them?
- What does it mean that God’s word lasts forever, when grass and flowers do not?
- When have you felt tired or weak, and what helped you keep going?
- How can waiting on God look different from giving up?
Activity Ideas
Paper Eagle Craft
You will need paper, crayons, scissors, and glue. Trace each child’s hand on paper to make wings, then cut them out. Let children color the wings and glue them on a folded paper body. As they work, talk about how eagles rise high and how God lifts up those who wait for Him.
Shepherd and Sheep Game
Choose one child to be the shepherd and let the others be lambs. The shepherd calls the lambs by name and gathers them close, while the lambs walk slowly behind. Play it a few times so everyone gets a turn. Afterward, remind children that God knows each of them by name and gathers them in His care.
Take-Home Strength Card
Give each child an index card and a pencil. Ask them to write or draw one thing that makes them feel weak, then draw a small eagle beside it. Let them take the card home and put it somewhere they will see it. Suggest they pray about that worry each morning.
Teacher Notes
For adults, Isaiah 40 is a message of comfort after a long and painful season. God speaks tenderly to a people who felt abandoned, reminding them that He is both powerful enough to measure the earth and gentle enough to carry lambs. The chapter also shows that human strength fades, while God’s faithfulness and understanding never run out.
Avoid overstating to children that God will always remove every hard feeling right away. The lesson is that God gives strength and comfort, not that life will never be tiring or sad. Let children know that waiting on God is a real and sometimes slow process.
A Prayer to Close
Lord, thank You that You are strong and never grow tired. Thank You that You carry us close like a shepherd carries lambs. Help us wait for You when we feel weak, and give us new strength each day. Amen.
