This lesson teaches children that God can bring us back when we feel broken, sad, or far from him, and that we can ask him for help. It works well for children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes, including the story, the discussion, and one activity.
Big Idea
When we feel broken or scared, we can cry out to God, and he is strong enough to help us and make us whole again. We can always ask him to come back to us.
Memory Verse
Psalm 60:1
God, you have rejected us. You have broken us down. You have been angry. Restore us, again.
(WEB)
Put both hands on your chest and then open them wide like a book. Say the verse slowly, and each time you say the word “restore,” cup your hands together as if you are gathering something back in. Do it together three times.
The Story: Psalm 60 for Kids
Long ago, the people of Israel had a hard time. They had fought many battles, and their land was shaken and torn apart. Their leader, a man who wrote songs to God, felt that God had let them down. He wrote to God honestly, telling him that everything seemed broken.
The writer did not hide his feelings. He told God that the land was trembling like a shaking floor and that the people were tired and stumbling like someone who had drunk too much. He felt confused and sad, and he asked God to fix what had gone wrong.
Then the writer remembered who God is. God had promised to lead his people and to be their protector. The writer said that God had spoken from his holy place and had promised victory. He named the places that belonged to God’s people and said that God was their strength, like a king holding a royal staff.
The writer asked a question that is easy for children to understand: “Who will bring us into the strong city?” He was asking who could help them. He knew that no army could save them by its own power, and that only God could give real help.
At the end of the song, the writer said that with God’s help, the people would be brave and win. He trusted that God would push back their enemies. He did not know everything about the future, but he knew God could be trusted.
Read It Together
Psalm 60:3
You have shown your people hard things. You have made us drink the wine that makes us stagger.
(WEB)
Point out that the writer was honest about how hard things felt, even saying that they had been made to feel like they were staggering. Tell the children that it is good to tell God the truth about our hard feelings, because he already knows them.
Psalm 60:11
Give us help against the adversary, for the help of man is vain.
(WEB)
Show the children that the writer admitted that human help was not enough. Explain that sometimes people cannot fix every problem, and that is why we ask God for his help, which is always strong and certain.
Psalm 60:12
Through God we shall do valiantly, for it is he who will tread down our adversaries.
(WEB)
Help the children see that the writer ended with confidence that God would help them do brave things. Point out that the song moves from a sad beginning to a hopeful ending, which shows that God can change how we feel.
Talk About It
- What is one thing that makes you feel broken or sad, and how could you tell God about it?
- Why do you think the writer was brave enough to be honest with God about his feelings?
- What do you think it means that God is our strength, like a king holding a staff?
- When someone helps you with a hard job, how does it feel, and how is God’s help similar?
- What can you do this week to remember that God is always ready to help you?
Activity Ideas
Broken Heart Mosaic
You will need paper, scissors, glue, and old magazines or colored paper scraps. Have each child cut a heart shape from the paper and then tear it into several pieces. Ask them to glue the pieces back onto a new sheet, leaving small gaps between them. Explain that God can help us put our broken feelings back together, and the gaps show that we are still growing and healing.
Stand Strong Game
You will need an open space and a teacher who can lead the movements. Ask the children to stand with their feet apart like a strong tree. Then have them sway as if the ground is shaking, and then stand tall again when you call out “God restores us!” Repeat several times, letting each child take a turn leading the movements.
Take-Home Prayer Card
You will need index cards, markers, and a pen. Have each child write or draw one thing they would like to tell God when they feel sad or scared. Encourage them to keep the card by their bed or in their backpack. Explain that the card is a reminder that they can talk to God at any time, and that he always listens.
Teacher Notes
Psalm 60 shows adults that it is healthy to bring honest pain and confusion before God. The writer does not pretend everything is fine. Instead, he tells God what is broken, asks for restoration, and trusts that God is faithful. Adults can learn from this that prayer includes both lament and hope.
When teaching children, avoid promising that God will always give us exactly what we want or that every hard situation will be fixed right away. Instead, focus on the truth that God is strong, present, and worthy of our trust, even when we do not understand what he is doing.
A Prayer to Close
Dear God, thank you that we can tell you when we feel broken or scared. Thank you that you are strong and that you help us stand tall again. Help us remember that you are always with us. Amen.
