God Promises to Take Care of Us

TEXT: Matthew 6:25-34

OBJECTIVE

The students will realize that as we seek God first He will take care of our needs.

BIBLE LESSON OUTLINE

Introduction: Bring some pictures which represent things parents do for their children. Compare the needs they supply to the needs supplied by our heavenly Father.

1. We are admonished not to be concerned about what we shall eat or wear.
2. Point out that the birds neither sow nor reap, but God provides for them.
3. Flowers do not toil or spin, but God makes them beautiful.
4. God feeds the birds and clothes the flowers, and we are far more valuable.

Climax: God promises to take care of our needs if we will seek Him first.

Conclusion: It is to our benefit if we seek the things of God.

Response: The students will be able to explain that if they wish to be relieved from care and worry, they must put their trust in God. They will be able to tell some of the things for which we can trust Him.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

In the Scripture passage of Matthew 6:25-34, Jesus was teaching His followers that they could and should trust God, their heavenly Father, just as a small child trusts his parents. When a small child is hungry he simply asks for food with no thought or concern as to how the parent will provide that food. He lives a carefree life and leaves the concerns of his daily needs with his parents. Just so, we should leave the concern for our needs to God and spend our lives joyfully serving and pleasing Him. After all, God provides for the birds and clothes the whole earth and we are much more important to Him than these.

Moreover, we are repeatedly warned in Scripture to guard against the deceitfulness of riches. The world seeks after wealth but we should seek after God and holiness. These are the true riches. See Matthew 13:22; 19:23 and 1 Timothy 6:9.

IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES

• Use a shadow box of Heaven as suggested in Lesson 1a. Instead of pictures of what we will see in Heaven, have pictures of how to seek His Kingdom such as: child praying, reading the Bible, witnessing, going to Sunday school, learning memory verse.
• Have a collection of pictures on a posterboard showing some of the things God provides for us, such as: happy family, clothes, groceries, car, job. Label the poster GOD GIVES US.
• Draw a simple house with the same number of windows and doors as you have students. Cut around three sides of each opening so a flap can be lifted. Behind the openings, paste pictures of each of your students. Ask them, "Who does Jesus promise to take care of?" and then let them lift each flap to see the pictures underneath.
• Use the song, "Seek Ye First." Have your class help make a list of things we can seek from the Lord. They may enjoy arranging the words in an acrostic.
• Give each child a piece of graph paper. Provide a set of fine-line markers, and let the children draw one or more items God provided for us by filling in squares on the paper.
  

QUESTIONS

1. Tell about some of the ways God takes care of you.
2. Some of you have heard people give their testimonies in church. Tell about a testimony you have heard that told of how God took care of someone. (If members of your class do not come to church, this is a chance to tell them about church services and testimonies. Perhaps you will also want to relate a testimony or two.)
3. What does God promise to do for us if we put Him first?
4. What are some things you think you will need help with this week?
5. Why must we seek God first if we want Him to take care of our needs?
6. Tell about someone you know who has prayed and for whom God has provided food or clothing.
7. How much does God know about us?
8. How much does God care about us?
9. How does God feel when we want to work out our own problems and do not ask Him for help?
   

PRE-SCHOOL SUGGESTIONS

• Show pictures or objects representative of things parents do for us. Plate and cup—give us food; sweater—give us clothes; picture of parent hugging—show us love. Compare this to our heavenly Father. He provides food, love, and the necessities of life because He loves us.
• Make a picture wheel to illustrate the various things God provides for us (see Patterns). Put a picture of Jesus on the top wheel, and the words GOD TAKES CARE OF MY NEEDS. Notch out one section of the top wheel. On the lower wheel, put pictures of home, food, bed, clothes, parents, church. Fasten the two wheels together with a brad. Let the children turn the wheel and tell about different things God has given us.
• Give each child a copy of the picture of a sleeping child with Jesus watching over him (see Patterns). Allow them to color the picture as you talk about how Jesus has promised to take care of us.
• Give each child a doll with a minimum of clothes. The child should pretend to do things to care for the baby: dress the doll, feed it a bottle, wrap it up, etc. When we love Jesus and do what He wants, He will take care of our needs, just like they take care of their dolly.

REVIEW IDEAS‍

Make a collage of pictures of birds, nests, weeds, flowers in fields, children, etc. Explain how they didn't make themselves. God made them and He watches over each one individually.

Have one or two children come up. Measure them and then have them stand up and stretch their muscles to see if they can grow taller. Measure them again. Have them think really hard on growing taller. Then measure them again. They can't change their height. God has us in His hands and He is the One who makes us grow taller and takes care of us.

Have someone tell a personal experience of a time when God protected them from danger. As an alternative, the experience could be acted out.