Children’s Sermon

Isaiah 43:1-7

Words of Comfort

Check out these helpful resources
Biblical Commentary
Sermons
Children’s Sermons
Hymn Lists

Isaiah 43:1-7

Words of Comfort

By Lois Parker Edstrom

Print the image found at this site and use to help illustrate the concepts of the lesson:
http://mathworld.wolfram.com/Rabbit-DuckIllusion.html

To keep ourselves safe, we need to have respect for certain things. From the time we are very young our parents teach us not to touch hot objects because we will burn our fingers. We learn not to go out on a busy street without holding on to our parent’s hand.

As we learn and grow we become involved in new activities and we must learn to be more independent and careful. If you like to hike, you must be careful where you step and stay on the path so you won’t take a dangerous fall. (Substitute a personal example from your life.)

You must learn the safe way to play on a trampoline, climb on bars, or go down a slide.

These are just a few examples of things that deserve our respect. We must have a bit of fear about certain things. This is healthy and safe.

Sometimes we may become fearful about imaginary things. Has that ever happened to you? Perhaps as you are falling asleep you see a shadow that looks spooky and it may cause you to feel frightened, but it is just a shadow. This is the kind of fear that is not helpful.

Look at this picture. Do you see a duck or a rabbit? Yes, if you look at it one way you see a duck, but if you look at it from the opposite direction you will see a rabbit. That is like what happens when we become frightened by imaginary things. What we see is an illusion, a trick.

God speaks to us through the Bible scriptures and we hear these comforting words over and over again: “Don’t be afraid; for I am with you” (43:5).

Memorize this verse and keep it handy. Use it to comfort yourself when you become frightened about imaginary things. Remember that God is powerful and that God loves you always.

Scripture quotations from the World English Bible.

Copyright 2014, Richard Niell Donovan