“His ways are everlasting” (Habakkuk 3:6). In the Beginning Was the Word, by Eva Timothy

November 28–December 4

Nahum; Habakkuk; Zephaniah

“His Ways Are Everlasting”

Your love for the scriptures can have a powerful influence on the children you teach. Let them see how thankful you are for the word of God.

Record Your Impressions

Invite Sharing

Invite the children to take turns standing and pretending to be an Old Testament prophet standing “upon the tower” like Habakkuk (Habakkuk 2:1). Ask them to tell the other children something they are learning about Jesus Christ and His gospel.

Teach the Doctrine: Younger Children

Habakkuk 2:3

God will always fulfill His promises.

The prophet Habakkuk was troubled by the wickedness he saw among the people of Judah (see Habakkuk 1:2–4). The Lord reassured him that His promises would be fulfilled in His time (see Habakkuk 2:3).

Possible Activities

• Share some examples of things that are good but only after we wait—like fruit that needs to ripen or dough that needs to bake. What would happen if we tried to eat the fruit or the dough before it was ready? Tell about the prophet Habakkuk, who wanted to know when the Lord would stop the wickedness he saw around him. Read to the children the Lord’s answer, found in Habakkuk 2:3. Emphasize that Habakkuk needed to wait for the Lord’s promises to be fulfilled, just as we sometimes need to do. Share a time when you had to wait for a blessing.

• Help the children think of things that God has promised—for example, that Jesus Christ will return to the earth or that we can live with God again. With each example, invite the children to repeat the phrase “Wait for it; because it will surely come.”

Habakkuk 2:14

I can help fill the earth with knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Habakkuk prophesied of the day when the whole world would know about Jesus Christ. That prophecy is beginning to be fulfilled in our day. Consider how you can help the children be part of its fulfillment.

Possible Activities

• Display an empty jar, and give each child a small object. Ask each child to share something that Jesus did or taught and then put their object in the jar. Read aloud Habakkuk 2:14, and explain that just as the children filled the jar with their knowledge of the Lord, we can also fill the world with knowledge of Him.

• Show the children a map of the world (see Church History Maps, no. 7, “Map of the World”). Help them find the place where they live and places where missionaries they know have served. Bear your testimony that Heavenly Father wants all people throughout the earth to know about Jesus Christ. How can we help teach other people about Jesus? Tell the children about things you have seen them do that teach you about Jesus Christ. Help them think of other things they can do.

• Sing together a song about sharing the gospel, such as “I Want to Be a Missionary Now” (Children’s Songbook, 168). What can we tell others about Jesus Christ? For some ideas, see the Articles of Faith.

Zephaniah 2:3

“Seek ye the Lord.”

Zephaniah taught that we should seek the Lord during times of great wickedness, such as in these latter days. Ponder how you will encourage the children to seek Him.

Possible Activities

• Display a picture of Jesus, and read to the children Zephaniah 2:3. Invite them to cup their hands around their eyes like glasses and look at the picture every time you read the word “seek.” Explain that the prophet Zephaniah wanted the people to seek the Lord. How do we seek the Lord? Where can we find Him?

• Use this week’s activity page, or think of another game that encourages the children to seek the Lord. Play or sing together a song related to this topic, such as “Seek the Lord Early” (Children’s Songbook, 108). Discuss what the song teaches about how we can find Jesus Christ in our lives.

Teach the Doctrine: Older Children

Nahum 1:7

“The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble.”

Each of us faces our own “days of trouble.” How will you help the children turn to the Lord, “trust in him,” and find spiritual safety in their days of trouble?

Possible Activities

• Show the children a picture of a stronghold or a fortress. What are some reasons people might need a fortress? Invite the children to read Nahum 1:7 to find out what the prophet Nahum said is like a stronghold or fortress for us. What can the Savior protect us from?

• Invite the children to draw a picture of themselves and their families inside a stronghold or fortress. Encourage them to write words around the stronghold that describe some of the evil influences in the world. Invite them to write words inside the stronghold that describe Jesus Christ. What does He ask us to do to receive His strength and protection? (see Doctrine and Covenants 35:24).

  

  “The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble” (Nahum 1:7).

Habakkuk 3:17–19

I can have joy in Jesus Christ, even when things aren’t going well.

Habakkuk described some trials that might happen to his people, including trees or vines that bear no fruit. He then said that even if these things happened, “yet I will rejoice in the Lord.”

Possible Activities

• Invite the children to read Habakkuk 3:17 and identify the trials described in this verse. How might a person feel if these things happened? Help the children think of trials that could happen to them. Then read together verses 18–19 to learn how Habakkuk said he would feel even if these things happened to him.

• Help the children find other examples of people in the scriptures who rejoiced in the Lord even during hard times. They can find examples in Acts 16:19–25; Mosiah 24:10–15; and President Dieter F. Uchtdorf’s message “Grateful in Any Circumstances” (Ensign or Liahona, May 2014, 70–77), especially the section “Being Grateful in Our Circumstances.” Why were these people able to be joyful in hard times? How can we follow their examples?

Zephaniah 3:14–20

Those who follow Jesus Christ will find peace and joy.

Zephaniah 3:14–20 describes the joyful day when Jesus Christ, “the king of Israel,” will reign among His people and “joy over [us] with singing” (verses 15, 17).

Possible Activities

• Read together Zephaniah 3:14. Then invite each child to choose one of the verses in Zephaniah 3:15–20 and study it, looking for something that can help us “be glad and rejoice.” Ask them to share what they find.

• Help the children find hymns or children’s songs that help them “be glad and rejoice with all the heart” (Zephaniah 3:14). Sing a few songs together, and encourage the children to talk about the joy they find in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Encourage Learning at Home

Ask the children to write down the reference to a scripture that they want to share with their families (or write it for them).

Improving Our Teaching

Help children recognize the Spirit. Try to notice moments when the children may be feeling the Spirit’s influence. When this happens, help them understand that these feelings come from the Holy Ghost.