Forty Days in the Wilderness for Kids

Forty . . . the number of days the spies scouted the promised land, Jesus fasted in the wilderness and it rained on Noah. It's also the number of years that the Israelites wandered in the desert. Forty is a very significant number. It's the number of days we celebrate Lent and Rick Warren wrote a book that's been read all over the world to help us grow in our faith in just that many days.

All of those Biblical forties inspired a Bible Study to help adults discover the various reasons we might find ourselves in a Spiritual "wilderness." This six week Children's Curriculum was created to use alongside the adult study! Honestly, you could use either study independently. However, if you're parents would like an opportunity to have a discussion with their kids on the way home from church, this is a great way to do it!

Below you'll find the overview . . . I can't wait to hear from you!

The first week of our study

The nation of Israel had been traveling almost two years since they left Egypt. They've already had a few crisis of faith, but now, as God brings them to the land He's promised, they let fear keep them from trusting their Creator, which ultimately leads them to missing their chance at a land filled with "milk and honey."

This first lesson reviews the choice between following God and believing Joshua and Caleb or giving in to the fear factor the other ten spies try to instill in them. We'll ask the kids which side they'd have been on and help them understand that obedience to God is one way to help avoid the "wilderness."

The Second Week of our Study

Hagar and Ishmael's time in the Wilderness highlight the second week of our lessons. This mom got kicked out of her home and sent away with her son. Her only crime was being obedient to her mistress. We often find ourselves feeling like we are in the wilderness in much the same way. Just like our sin causes pain all around us, there will be times we will feel like we are in the wilderness because of the acts of someone else.

The kids will have games and crafts as well as the Bible story to help them understand that God is with us in the Wilderness, especially when we didn't really do anything to deserve being there.

The Third Lesson

While Jesus didn't ask the disciples to go into a literal wilderness, Matthew 10 tells of how he asked them to face many trials for the sake of the Gospel. There will be times in our life that God may actually ask us to go into the wilderness on purpose, but Jesus says we'll be all right. There's no need to be afraid because we are important to God.

The Fourth Lesson

Grumbling . . . we all do it, but the lesson we can learn from the Israelites is that grumbling does not bring glory to God. We need to learn to be content in our wilderness and be confident that God will lead us out.

The 5th Lesson

Kids and Adults will all benefit from learning how Jesus survived the Wilderness. Forty days with no food or water, yet Jesus had no problem defeating the enemy. Let's look at how He did it and how we can apply those same principles to our own life.

The last week!

This lesson is ready for you! Isaiah is one of my favorite Old Testament books (it wasn't always - it can be a very difficult read). As soon as I began to see that God spent a chapter telling the Israelites of their impending doom and then a chapter explaining how He had plans to rescue them, this book along with Jeremiah began to be very dear.

God promises hope after every wilderness experience to those who turn to Him. What a beautiful thing to help children understand at a young age!