For Kids · 4 min with a grown-up
After Joshua, God's people fall into a sad pattern — but God's love and mercy never run out.
Today's Story
After Joshua and the older leaders died, something sad happened. The new generation of Israelites began to forget God. They started worshiping pretend gods (idols) and doing wrong things. They drifted away from the God who loved them so much.
When the people turned away from God, life got hard, and enemies troubled them. So the people would finally cry out, “God, help us! We're sorry!”
And here's the beautiful part: God ALWAYS heard them. Even though they had wandered away, God felt deep concern for His people. So He would raise up a special leader called a “judge” — a rescuer — to save them and bring them back to Him.
This happened again and again: the people would forget God, get into trouble, cry out, and God would mercifully rescue them. Over and over, God's people wandered — and over and over, God's love brought them back. No matter how many times we mess up, God's mercy is always ready to welcome us back when we turn to Him.
A Big Word
Memory Verse
Talk About It
- The people kept forgetting God, but God kept rescuing them. What does that show about God's love?
- When the people cried out, God always heard. How does it feel to know God always hears us when we call?
- God sent rescuers called judges. Who is the greatest Rescuer God ever sent? (Hint: His name is Jesus!)