This lesson teaches children that when they feel sad or scared, they can hope in God, because he is their strength and helper. It is designed for children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes to teach.
Big Idea
When I feel sad or worried, I can talk to God and wait for him to help me, because he is my strength and my helper.
Memory Verse
Psalm 43:5
Why are you in despair, my soul? Why are you disturbed within me? Hope in God! For I shall still praise him: my Savior, my helper, and my God.
(WEB)
Put one hand on your heart when you say “Why are you sad, my soul?” Then lift both hands up high on “Hope in God!” Do this motion together three times so the children can remember the words.
The Story: Psalm 43 for Kids
A man named David wrote a song to God. He was in trouble, and some people were being unkind to him and telling lies about him. David felt very sad, and he felt like God was far away.
David prayed and asked God to stand up for him. He said, “Please help me and fight for me, because these people are not good.” David knew that God was his strength, so he asked God to be his judge and make things right.
David also asked God to send his light and his truth to lead him. He wanted God to bring him close to his holy hill, where God’s people could worship him. David loved being near God and wanted to be where God was.
David remembered that worshiping God filled him with joy. He said he would go to God’s altar and sing praise to him, playing his harp. Even in the hard time, David chose to praise God.
Then David talked to his own heart. He asked himself why he was so sad and worried. He told himself to wait and hope in God, because God would still help him. David knew God was his Savior, his helper, and his God, so he decided to keep praising him.
Read It Together
Psalm 43:1-2
1 Vindicate me, God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation. Oh, deliver me from deceitful and wicked men. 2 For you are the God of my strength. Why have you rejected me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?
(WEB)
Point out that David brings his hard feelings straight to God. He tells God the truth about his enemies and asks God to help him. Let the children see that it is okay to tell God when we are hurting.
Psalm 43:3
Oh, send out your light and your truth. Let them lead me. Let them bring me to your holy hill, To your tents.
(WEB)
Show the children that David asks for God’s light and truth to guide him. Explain that God’s light helps us see the right way to go, just as a flashlight helps us walk in the dark.
Psalm 43:4
Then I will go to the altar of God, to God, my exceeding joy. I will praise you on the harp, God, my God.
(WEB)
Point out that David calls God his “exceeding joy” and says he will praise God. Explain that praising God can bring happiness even when things are hard.
Talk About It
- What is something that made you feel sad or scared this week?
- How did David talk to God when he was in trouble?
- What did David ask God to send to help him find the way?
- Why do you think David still wanted to praise God even while he was sad?
- What is one thing you can do the next time you feel worried?
Activity Ideas
Light and Truth Lanterns
Give each child a paper cup, a battery tea light, and some crayons or markers. Have them draw a picture of something that reminds them God’s light guides them. Set the cup over the tea light so the picture glows. Talk about how God’s light and truth help us see the way forward.
Hope in God Freeze Dance
Play some upbeat music and have the children dance freely. When the music stops, they freeze and say, “Hope in God!” and hold their arms up high. Repeat this several times. The game helps children connect the word “hope” with a joyful, physical response.
Take-Home Worry Jar
Give each child a small jar or plastic container and some paper scraps. Ask them to write or draw a worry on a scrap and place it in the jar. Explain that they can give these worries to God in prayer each night. Encourage them to show the jar to their family and talk about it together during the week.
Teacher Notes
For adults, Psalm 43 shows that honest lament and trust in God can live side by side. David brings his complaints openly to God, yet he refuses to let despair have the final word and chooses to hope and praise. The psalm invites believers to speak honestly about pain while still trusting God as strength, Savior, and helper.
Avoid overstating to children that God will always remove every problem the moment we pray. Psalm 43 is about trusting God in hard times, not a promise that difficulties disappear instantly. Help children understand that God is with them in the struggle, even when answers take time.
A Prayer to Close
Dear God, we know you are our strength and our helper. When we feel sad or scared, help us to talk to you. Show us your light and truth, and help us hope in you and keep praising you. Amen.
