Single lesson
Psalm 118: The LORD Is on My Side
Psalms 118:1–29
Psalm 118 begins and ends with thanks to Yahweh, but in the middle it moves through distress, help, worship and shared rejoicing. This lesson helps children trace that movement and understand the psalm’s main pictures.
Before you teach
The psalm opens with Israel, the house of Aaron and those who fear Yahweh repeating that his loving kindness endures forever. Then one speaker tells of calling to Yahweh in distress and being helped. In the later part, the psalm speaks about entering with thanks, a rejected stone, blessing in Yahweh’s name, worship at the altar, and ending together in praise.
Students will identify the group and individual voices in Psalm 118 and explain how its images of refuge, gates, stone, light and thanksgiving express trust in Yahweh.
Welcome: Hear the repeated chorus
5 minRead verses 1 to 4 and verse 29 aloud, inviting children to join the repeated line, “his loving kindness endures forever”. Point out that several groups are called to say this together. Tell children to listen for when the psalm shifts from a group voice to one person speaking and then back to shared praise.
Psalms 118:1, Psalms 118:2, Psalms 118:3, Psalms 118:4, Psalms 118:29
Read and explain: Distress, help and trust
7 minRead verses 5 to 18. Show the change to “I called”, “I will not be afraid” and “Yahweh helped me”. Explain the danger pictures simply: enemies surround the speaker, like bees, and push hard to make him fall. The speaker says Yah is his strength and song, and says he will live to declare Yah’s works.
Psalms 118:5, Psalms 118:6, Psalms 118:10, Psalms 118:12, Psalms 118:13, Psalms 118:14, Psalms 118:17, Psalms 118:18
Discuss: From rescue to entering with thanks
6 minRead verses 19 to 21 and 24 to 25. Explain that the “gate of Yahweh” is pictured as the place where the righteous enter and give thanks. Notice the movement: the speaker asks for the gate to open, gives thanks because Yahweh answered, then the group says, “We will rejoice”, and also asks, “Save us now”. Praise and request sit together in this psalm.
Psalms 118:19, Psalms 118:20, Psalms 118:21, Psalms 118:24, Psalms 118:25
Make and respond: Gate, stone, light or thanksgiving card
8 minRead verses 22 to 28. Explain that the rejected stone becomes the cornerstone, and the psalm calls this Yahweh’s doing. Children choose one safe image or line to draw, such as the gate, stone, light, “You are my God”, or words of thanks and blessing.
Psalms 118:22, Psalms 118:23, Psalms 118:26, Psalms 118:27, Psalms 118:28
Closing: Rejoice and give thanks together
4 minInvite children to show their card and name the verse they chose. Read verses 24, 28 and 29 together. Summarise the flow of the psalm: people begin with thanks, one speaker tells of trouble and help, then the psalm moves into entry, blessing, worship and shared thanksgiving. End by repeating the opening line together.
Psalms 118:1, Psalms 118:24, Psalms 118:28, Psalms 118:29
Questions to explore
Which verses show that the psalm has both a group voice and one person’s voice?
Find the lines that call Israel, the house of Aaron and those who fear Yahweh to speak, then compare them with the verses that say “I called”, “I will not be afraid” and “I will give thanks to you”.
Psalms 118:2, Psalms 118:3, Psalms 118:4, Psalms 118:5, Psalms 118:6, Psalms 118:21
What pictures describe danger and rescue in the first half of the psalm?
Look for the speaker being surrounded like bees, pushed hard to fall, and then helped so he can live and declare Yah’s works.
Psalms 118:12, Psalms 118:13, Psalms 118:17
What worship pictures appear in the later part of the psalm, and what do they add to its message?
Notice the gate where the righteous enter, the stone that becomes the cornerstone, the blessing for one who comes in Yahweh’s name, the light God gives, and the ending words of thanks.
Psalms 118:20, Psalms 118:22, Psalms 118:23, Psalms 118:26, Psalms 118:27, Psalms 118:29
Make, think or respond
Psalm 118 Image and Prayer Card
What you’ll need
- plain paper or card
- pencils or markers
- crayons or coloured pencils
- Bible text of Psalm 118
Try it together
- Briefly review the later images in the psalm: the gate for giving thanks, the stone becoming important, God giving light, and the words “You are my God”.
- Ask each child to choose one safe image or line from Psalms 118:19-29, such as a gate, a stone, light, thanksgiving, or “You are my God”.
- Fold the paper in half and draw the chosen image on the front.
- Inside, copy one short phrase from the psalm and write one sentence of thanks, trust or asking for help using the language of the psalm.
- Invite children to share which verse they chose and whether it sounds like praise, request or trust.
This activity helps children respond to the psalm’s later worship images and see how Psalm 118 moves from rescue into thanksgiving, rejoicing and prayer.
Adapt for your group
- For younger children, offer three verse choices only, such as Psalms 118:6, Psalms 118:24 and Psalms 118:28, and let them draw before writing a few words.
- For older or confident readers, ask them to mark the psalm with G for group voice and I for individual voice, then explain where the shifts happen and how the later images add to the message.
An optional closing prayer
Suggested prayer: “Yahweh, you are good. Please help us trust you, thank you, and rejoice in what you have done. You are our God, and we want to praise you.”
Read the Bible passage World English Bible Classic
Psalms 118
1 Give thanks to Yahweh, for he is good, for his loving kindness endures forever.
2 Let Israel now say that his loving kindness endures forever.
3 Let the house of Aaron now say that his loving kindness endures forever.
4 Now let those who fear Yahweh say that his loving kindness endures forever.
5 Out of my distress, I called on Yah. Yah answered me with freedom.
6 Yahweh is on my side. I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?
7 Yahweh is on my side among those who help me. Therefore I will look in triumph at those who hate me.
8 It is better to take refuge in Yahweh, than to put confidence in man.
9 It is better to take refuge in Yahweh, than to put confidence in princes.
10 All the nations surrounded me, but in Yahweh’s name I cut them off.
11 They surrounded me, yes, they surrounded me. In Yahweh’s name I indeed cut them off.
12 They surrounded me like bees. They are quenched like the burning thorns. In Yahweh’s name I cut them off.
13 You pushed me back hard, to make me fall, but Yahweh helped me.
14 Yah is my strength and song. He has become my salvation.
15 The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tents of the righteous. “The right hand of Yahweh does valiantly.
16 The right hand of Yahweh is exalted! The right hand of Yahweh does valiantly!”
17 I will not die, but live, and declare Yah’s works.
18 Yah has punished me severely, but he has not given me over to death.
19 Open to me the gates of righteousness. I will enter into them. I will give thanks to Yah.
20 This is the gate of Yahweh; the righteous will enter into it.
21 I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me, and have become my salvation.
22 The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.
23 This is Yahweh’s doing. It is marvelous in our eyes.
24 This is the day that Yahweh has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it!
25 Save us now, we beg you, Yahweh! Yahweh, we beg you, send prosperity now.
26 Blessed is he who comes in Yahweh’s name! We have blessed you out of Yahweh’s house.
27 Yahweh is God, and he has given us light. Bind the sacrifice with cords, even to the horns of the altar.
28 You are my God, and I will give thanks to you. You are my God, I will exalt you.
29 Oh give thanks to Yahweh, for he is good, for his loving kindness endures forever.
World English Bible Classic. Public domain.