Psalm 139:7-10 is one of the most quoted psalms and most comforting.

It's also a great memory verse.

⁷ Where can I go from your Spirit?
    Where can I flee from your presence?
⁸ If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
    if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
⁹ If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
    if I settle on the far side of the sea,
¹⁰ even there your hand will guide me,

Below is a COPY of the short lesson plan for older children and youth about Psalm 139 that was written for our 2020 "At Home" Lessons. It can easily be adapted for Sunday School use.

Here's the lesson:

Video 3: You're the God of the Hills and Valleys (and I am not alone)

Tauren Wells is a phenomenal singer, songwriter, and worship leader. His 2017 debut album and scripturally inspired lyrics won four Grammy nominations.

"Hills and Valleys" is a great description of 2020 and life in general. It's been mostly "valleys" for a lot of people, including our kids who have been missing their friends and schools. All of us, and especially those suffering job loss, despair, and depression, could use a little Tauren Wells’ perspective these days.

Hills and Valleys are biblical images! (See Ps 23 and 121 for starters.) They describe where we can expect God to be with us -- guiding us through the darkest valleys, coming from the hills to aid us when we lift our eyes, and taking us to the mountaintops where we are blessed and humbled. 

 Open, Save, and Share the PDF of this lesson (includes the video)

YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/8iDuZv_5MQk (full version seen below)
YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/p4rRCjrAyCs (piano-only version)

Lyrics to Ponder and Questions to Ask:

I've watched my dreams get broken
In You, I hope again
No matter what I know
I'm safe inside Your hands

• Valleys: What "dreams" or plans did you have that were "broken" by the pandemic?
• Hills: Name a "positive" result or perspective in your life  that's come out of the pandemic.

Play this game:  After watching the video once, ask everyone to say how many times will Tauren Wells sings "and I am not alone."   Watch the video a second time and count them to see who came close. 

• Why do you think "and I am not alone" is so important to remember?
• How are we helping each other "get through" (not be alone) our stresses and troubles these days?  To be supportive to others? 
• What helps you feel closer to God?

Despair, fear, depression, difficult issues, and bad news can isolate us, make us feel like we are alone or the problems are too great. It's one of the most common laments in the Bible -- the fear that God has forgotten us and we are being overwhelmed. 

Look up the VERY LAST SENTENCE in the Gospel of Matthew. What does it say, and what does it mean?  [Matthew 28:20 Lo, I am with you always, even to the close of the age (end of time).]

Conclude with a reading of Psalm 139: 7-12 and answer the questions...

⁷ Where can I go from your Spirit?
    Where can I flee from your presence?
⁸ If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
    if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
⁹ If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
    if I settle on the far side of the sea,
¹⁰ even there your hand will guide me,
    your right hand will hold me fast.
¹¹ If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
    and the light become night around me,”
¹² even the darkness will not be dark to you;
    the night will shine like the day,
    for darkness is as light to you.

How similar are these words of the psalm to the video's song lyrics?

How do the words of the song and psalm make you feel about God? 
About making it through these difficult days?

Written by Neil MacQueen, member of the Rotation.org Writing Team