Teaching

We just played a game where we all said, “God is always with me.” How can God be with all of us at one time, since each of you said, “God is with ME”? What happens when we all go different places? God goes with us!

Can it really be true? Let’s consider this. Ask for a volunteer to stand next to you. Would you say that I am with name of child?

Yes, I am—that isn’t difficult!

Call up two more volunteers to stand with you. How about now—am I with these three people at one time?

Sure, this seems easy enough!

Have the three children go to different corners of the room; then send an adult leader or two sixth grade helpers to stand in the hallway just outside the classroom door, with the door open for safety. Uh-oh, this is a different situation; can I be with each person now? No!

Well, let me give it a try!

Move quickly from one to the other, then go out in the hallway for a moment and say you are sorry you can’t stay because you need to be with other people. Keep moving between the people, acting increasingly frazzled, frustrated and tired.

No, you were right. I simply can’t be in all places at one time—and this is just in our classroom! Now, think about all of the people over all of Earth. Can God really be with everyone? Let’s see.

Write the word prefix “Omni” on the board. This means “All.”

Write “present” next to it. Now, who can guess what omnipresent means? All present.

In other words, God is present in all places. I am a human being, so I can only be in one place at one time. But God is Spirit: He can be everywhere at all times.  

Let’s say our SuperVerse together. Deuteronomy 31:6:

“Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you."

God gave these words to Moses to encourage the Israelites. Does this wonderful promise only apply to people who lived in Old Testament times? No!

In the New Testament book of Hebrews, the writer quotes this promise and applies it to all of us who believe!

Optional: read Hebrews 13:5b–6 (nkjv):

For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”

In our Bible story about Job, God asked Satan if he had observed Job’s life. God knew all about Job. He told Satan that Job was blameless—a man of complete integrity. He said that Job feared God and stayed away from evil. You see, God knew everything about Job, and God was with Job through all his testing and trials. It is the same with us too; God sees us, knows us, and is always with us!

Read Jeremiah 23:23–24:

"Am I a God who is only close at hand?” says the Lord. “No, I am far away at the same time. Can anyone hide from Me in a secret place? Am I not everywhere in all the heavens and earth?” says the Lord.

God is both near to us and far away at the same time. Nothing is hidden from Him. He fills the entire universe! And here is something amazing: He comes to live in our hearts when we ask Him to be our Lord and Savior!  

OPTIONAL VERSES FOR GRADES 4–6

Read Psalm 113:4–6 (nkjv):

The Lord is high above all nations; His glory above the heavens. Who is like the Lord our God, Who dwells on high, Who humbles Himself to behold the things that are in the heavens and in the earth?

No one is like God! His glory and throne are above the heavens, but He chooses to watch and be with each of us!

Discipleship Challenge/Practical Application

Give a Blessing Basket Pattern and a My Blessings Pattern to children who missed Lesson 1.

God gives us many blessings, and one of them is that He is always with us. Sometimes we don’t take time to appreciate all of our blessings. That’s why we are doing the Discipleship Challenge we began last time. Think of a different blessing every day, write it on one of the 14 “My Blessing” slips, and put it in your blessing basket. Then, be sure to take time to praise and thank God for that special blessing. For those of you who have already started doing this, who would like to share a blessing you have put in your blessing basket?

Next time we meet, I’ll ask again about the blessings you thought of, and why you are grateful to God for them!