Delight
WELCOME TO WEEK 2
What makes you excited? What makes you really happy? What makes you scared? What brings you joy? We have a lot of emotions we experience but sometimes joy can be tricky to explain. Emotions or feelings come and go, but is that true for our joy? This week we will see why David was overjoyed and how he outwardly expressed his joy.
BIBLE STORY
There are lots of ways to show your joy. Sometimes people dance when they are really excited about something. Dancing is one way to express the joy we have on the inside. Listen as I make the following statements and if you think this is something that would bring you joy, dance while we pretend we are doing it.
-Eating an ice cream cone (pretend to lick an ice cream cone while doing a little dance)
-Eating pizza
-Going swimming on a hot day
-Playing jump rope
-Singing your favorite song
-Going roller skating
-buying a new pair of shoes
-playing a guitar
-Jumping on the trampoline
-making homemade cookies
Have you ever lost something that was really important and then found it again? How did you feel once it was returned? Did you shout for joy? Do a little dance? Tell your friends and family of your find? After David became king, he brought home something that was very important to his people. God had given the Israelites the Ark of the covenant which contained the law God gave Moses, and God’s presence. David was eager to have it returned to Jerusalem where it belonged, among God’s people. Let’s read to find out what David did when the ark was returned to God’s people.
Read or listen to the Bible verse for this week: 2 Samuel 6:1-5,12-19
How many young men were with David? (30 thousand men)
Where did David go to get the ark? (Obed-Edom)
How did they carry the ark to the city of David? (On a new cart)
What did they do while walking with the ark? (Celebrate with all their might)
What instruments did they use during their celebration? (castanets,[d] harps, lyres, timbrels, sistrums and cymbals)
How many steps did they take before David sacrificed a bull and fattened calf to the Lord? (6 steps)
What did David do while the men and Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord? (Danced before the Lord with all his might)
Where did David place the Ark of the Lord? (In a tent he made for the ark)
After David continued to make sacrificed unto the Lord, what did he do for the people? Blessed them in the name of the Lord Almighty and fed each person a loaf of bread, cake of dates, and cake of raisins)
BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY
After David became king he wanted to the Ark returned to Jerusalem. David wanted the presence of God to be among his people, to guid and protect them. When the ark was returned, David was so happy he began to dance. He was celebrating the victorious return of something so important to their people.
Activity
God can give us unexplainable joy even when things are not going the way we planned or wanted them to go. We can have joy because we know we serve a God who is good, loves us and has a plan for us. To others it may seem strange for us to have joy at times things are going wrong, but we know that joy is from God. Play this unusual version of Charades. Listen to the following scenarios, then roll a dice to see the type of reaction you must have to the news you’ve been given. Decide if the reaction is an appropriate response for the situation or unexplainable joy. Each number on the dice will represent a different reaction or emotion you will display.
Materials: printed scenario sheet, one die
Alternate
Knowing what brings you joy can be difficult to express in words. What things do you treasure and hold dear to your heart? Your family? Spending time with God? Remembering all of your blessings? Sitting at the beach and listening to the waves? God gives us things all around that bring us joy and peace. The greatest joy we receive is His love toward us. Listen to this book about joy. Then tell some things you would add to a treasure box that bring you joy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzAZ0XJRtb0
Materials: device for listening to story,
Independent activity:
Complete the following activity sheet. Color or circle the things that bring you joy.
Materials: printed activity sheet, crayons or pencil
ARTS & CAFTS
CRAFT 1
Draw a picture of what you think the scene of David dancing before the ark would look like. Draw David, the ark and the Israelite people as they came into the City of David. On the reverse side of the paper, draw a picture of yourself praising God.
Materials: construction paper, pencil or coloring pencils
Craft 2
Coloring page
Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons
FOLLOW-UP
Why did David want the ark returned to the city?
Where did David keep the ark once it was returned?
Why were they so careful when bringing the ark into the city?
What was the purpose for David’s dance?
When you see others praising God at church, what do you think?
What are some ways you show your praise to God?
Practical Application at Home
We can praise God for his love, goodness and faithfulness towards us. We might be learning to play an instrument, sing, or dance; those are all ways we can express our praise towards God. Expressing our praise and joy over God’s goodness is not something we do only when things are going well or when we’ve received the toy we begged for. We can praise and express joy even when things have gone wrong or we don’t see how things will get better. Unexplainable joy means we have joy when others would want to give up. We are still thankful to God when others would count all the things that are going wrong. God gives us peace through all situations to know that He is with us in the good and bad times, and that peace and joy is something to praise God for.
Think of ways you can show joy this week to others around you.
Send them a note
Write your favorite scripture to share with them
Pray for them each day at the same time each day for 7 days
Ask them to go on a nature walk with you
Bake cookies or other treat then sit and share them together
Make an acrostic poem using their name and give it to them
Spend time with them doing their favorite things
Additional Resources
Outings to Reinforce Lesson
Donate to a local food shelter or toy drive this Christmas season. As a family, volunteer together or pick out toys you think another child your age might enjoy.