This lesson teaches children that they can tell God honestly how they feel, even when they are sad or scared, because God listens. It works well for children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes, including the story, the discussion, and one activity.
Big Idea
God wants to hear our true feelings, even the sad and worried ones. We can talk to Him about anything, and He is always listening.
Memory Verse
Job 7:11
“Therefore I will not keep silent. I will speak in the anguish of my spirit. I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.
(WEB)
Put both hands on your chest and then open them wide, like you are letting something out. Say the words slowly with your class as you do the motion. Each time you open your hands, remind the children that they can say what is in their hearts to God.
The Story: Job 7 for Kids
Job was a man who had a hard time. He had lost many of the things that made his life happy, and he was very sick. His body hurt, and his nights were long and full of tossing and turning. Job could not sleep, so he waited and waited for the morning to come.
Job felt tired and sad, and he felt like his days were passing by without any hope. He wondered why life had become so hard. He even felt like God was watching him very closely, as if God was waiting for him to make a mistake. Job was confused and wanted answers.
So Job decided not to keep quiet about it. He said out loud to God, in his own words, that he was hurting and that he did not want to go on feeling this way. He told God that his spirit felt bitter and his heart was heavy. Job did not pretend to be happy. He simply told God the truth.
Job even asked God a question, saying, “What is a person that You would think about him so much?” He wanted to understand why God would pay such close attention to someone as small as him. Job was honest about his questions and his pain, and he did not hide any of it from God.
Even though Job was sad, he kept talking to God. He showed us that it is alright to bring our hard feelings and our big questions straight to God. God hears every word, and He does not turn away from His children when they are hurting.
Read It Together
Job 7:1-2
1 “Isn’t a man forced to labor on earth? Aren’t his days like the days of a hired hand? 2 As a servant who earnestly desires the shadow, as a hireling who looks for his wages…
(WEB)
Point out that Job describes his days as hard work that feels long and tiring. Ask the children to think about times when a day felt very long for them. Explain that Job is being honest about how difficult his life felt.
Job 7:17-18
17 What is man, that you should magnify him, that you should set your mind on him, 18 that you should visit him every morning, and test him every moment?
(WEB)
Help the children see that Job wondered why God would pay such close attention to people. Explain that these verses show how Job was asking honest questions. Tell the children that God cares about each one of them very much, even when they do not understand everything.
Talk About It
- What is one feeling you have had that made your day feel very long?
- How did Job talk to God when he was feeling sad?
- Why do you think it is good to tell God the truth about how you feel?
- What is a question you might want to ask God when something is hard?
- How can you remember that God is always listening to you?
Activity Ideas
Feelings Heart Drawing
You will need paper, crayons or markers, and scissors. Ask each child to draw a large heart on the paper and cut it out. Have them color the inside with colors that show how they feel today. Let them share their heart with a partner, and remind them that God already knows every feeling in their heart.
Tell God Toss Game
You will need a soft ball or a rolled-up pair of socks. Stand the children in a circle. When the ball comes to a child, that child says one feeling they might tell God, such as “I feel sad” or “I feel worried.” Then they toss the ball to the next person. Keep going until everyone has had a turn, and close by saying that God hears every word.
Feelings Jar at Home
You will need an empty jar, paper, and a pen. Cut the paper into small strips and place them next to the jar. Each day, the child writes one feeling on a strip and drops it into the jar. Once a week, read the strips together as a family and pray about the feelings written there, so the child learns that God hears their feelings every day.
Teacher Notes
For adults, Job 7 shows that honest lament is a real and faithful way to speak to God. Job does not hide his pain or pretend that suffering is easy, and the book as a whole shows that God welcomes such honesty in the context of trust. Adults can see in this chapter the courage it takes to speak plainly before God.
Avoid overstating to children that every hard feeling will quickly go away or that God will always explain why things happen. Job did not receive an answer to his questions in this chapter, so be careful not to suggest that honest prayer always brings immediate comfort. Instead, focus on the fact that God listens and cares.
A Prayer to Close
Dear God, thank You that we can tell You everything we feel, both happy and sad. Thank You for listening to us when we are worried or confused, and help us to trust that You care about each one of us. Help us to talk to You honestly every day. Amen.
