This lesson teaches children that God is wise and powerful, and that he holds every living thing in his hands. It suits children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes to teach, including the story, the reading and the activity.
Big Idea
God is wiser and stronger than anyone, and he takes care of everything he has made. We can trust him even when we do not understand what is happening.
Memory Verse
Job 12:13
“With God is wisdom and might. He has counsel and understanding.
(WEB)
Have the children stand up, put both hands on their hearts, and then lift their arms high over their heads as they say the verse together. Repeat it three times, getting a little louder each time.
The Story: Job 12 for Kids
Job was a good man who loved God, but he had lost almost everything. His animals were gone, his children were gone, and he was sick and sad. Three of his friends had come to visit him, and they kept telling him that he must have done something wrong to deserve all this trouble.
Job did not agree with his friends. He was tired of their talk, and he said, “You think you are the only ones who know anything about God. I know these things too. I am not less wise than you.” Job felt like a joke to his neighbors, even though he had always called on God and God had always answered him.
Then Job told his friends to look at the world around them. He said, “Ask the animals and they will teach you. Ask the birds in the sky, and they will tell you what they know. Ask the fish in the sea.” Job wanted his friends to see that everything in creation shows that God is in charge.
Job said that God holds the life of every living thing in his hand, and the breath of every person too. He reminded his friends that God is the one who has wisdom and strength, and who understands all things. Nothing can stop what God decides to do.
Job also told his friends that God can take away wisdom from wise leaders and bring down the mighty, so that even the strongest people are made to stumble. Job knew that only God can see clearly in the dark and bring light where there is none.
Read It Together
Job 12:7-9
7 “But ask the animals, now, and they shall teach you; the birds of the sky, and they shall tell you. 8 Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach you. The fish of the sea shall declare to you. 9 Who doesn’t know that in all these, the LORD’s hand has done this…
(WEB)
Point out that Job asked the animals and the earth to teach his friends about God. Ask the children what they have learned about God from the things they see outside, like trees, birds, or the sky.
Job 12:10
In whose hand is the life of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind?
(WEB)
Show the children that God is the one who gives life to every living thing. Remind them that they are alive because God gave them the breath they breathe every day.
Job 12:16
With him is strength and wisdom. The deceived and the deceiver are his.
(WEB)
Explain that strength and wisdom belong to God alone. Help the children see that God is never tricked by anyone, and that nothing about him is weak or foolish.
Talk About It
- What is one thing God made that you enjoy looking at?
- How do you think Job felt when his friends would not listen to him?
- What are some ways you can tell that God takes care of you?
- Why is it good to know that God is wiser than anyone else?
- What is one thing you could say to God when you feel confused or sad?
Activity Ideas
Animal Friends Drawing
You will need paper, crayons or markers, and a few pictures of animals or birds if you have them. Ask each child to draw one animal or bird that God made, and write or dictate a short sentence underneath about what that creature shows us about God. Display the drawings on the wall so the class can see how many different things God created.
Hands Hold Everything Game
Gather a few small toys or balls and a bowl or bucket. Have the children stand in a circle and pass a toy around, saying, “God holds everything in his hands.” When the music stops or you clap, the child holding the toy places it in the bowl and says one thing God made that is in his hands. Keep playing until everyone has had a turn.
Wisdom Bookmark Take-Home
You will need cardstock or thick paper, scissors, a hole punch, and yarn or ribbon. Cut the paper into strips about the size of a bookmark and have each child write “God is wise” on one side and draw a small picture of something God made on the other. Punch a hole at the top, tie on the yarn, and send it home so the family can read it together.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this passage shows that God’s wisdom and power are far greater than human understanding. Job’s friends thought they knew exactly how God works, but Job reminds them that God is the one who sees everything and rules over all creation, including the rise and fall of nations and leaders. It is a call to humility and trust in God’s character even when life does not make sense.
Avoid telling children that bad things happen to people because they have done something wrong, or that a good life guarantees good things. Job’s story is about God’s greatness and faithfulness, not a simple formula about rewards and punishments. Keep the focus on the fact that God is wise, strong, and caring.
A Prayer to Close
Dear God, thank you that you are wiser and stronger than anyone. Thank you for the animals, the birds, and the fish, and for the breath you give us every day. Help us trust you even when we do not understand everything, and help us remember that you hold us in your hands. Amen.
