In this lesson, children learn that they can tell God the truth when they feel sad, scared, or hurt, and God still listens. This lesson is for children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes.
Big Idea
God wants to hear our true feelings. Even when we feel sad or alone, we can always talk to Him, and He hears us.
Memory Verse
Job 16:20
My friends scoff at me. My eyes pour out tears to God…
(WEB)
Put your hands over your eyes like you are crying, then slowly lower them and raise them up toward the sky as you say, “My tears go to God.” Repeat the motion a few times so children remember that God sees every tear.
The Story: Job 16 for Kids
Job was a man who loved God very much. He had a big family, many animals, and a happy home. But one day, many terrible things happened to him all at once. He lost his children, his animals, and his good health. Job felt very sad and hurt.
Job had three friends named Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar. They came to sit with Job when they heard about his trouble. For a long time, they just sat quietly with him, and that was a good thing to do. But then they started talking, and their words did not help Job feel better. They kept saying that Job must have done something wrong to make God angry.
Job got tired of hearing their words. He told them, “You are all miserable comforters!” He said that if they were in his place, he could say many hard things too, but he would rather give them kind words. Job said his pain was not going away, no matter what anyone said.
Then Job talked to God very honestly. He told God that he felt worn out and broken. He said he felt like God had let bad things happen to him, and it hurt him deeply. Job did not pretend to feel happy. He told God exactly how he felt, even when it was hard to say.
Even while he was hurting, Job still believed that someone in heaven knew the truth about him. He said that his witness was in heaven, and that God would stand up for what was right. Job poured out his tears to God and trusted Him to hear every word.
Job’s story shows us that God is not scared of our honest feelings. Job told God the truth, and God cared about Job even in his sadness.
Read It Together
Job 16:2
“I have heard many such things. You are all miserable comforters!
(WEB)
Point out that Job was honest with his friends about how their words made him feel. Explain that sometimes we can be honest with people too, and we can speak kindly even when we are hurting.
Job 16:19-20
19 Even now, behold, my witness is in heaven. He who vouches for me is on high. 20 My friends scoff at me. My eyes pour out tears to God…
(WEB)
Show the children that Job trusted God even while he was crying. Explain that Job knew God was in heaven and watching over him, and that God hears us even when no one else seems to understand.
Job 16:16-17
16 My face is red with weeping. Deep darkness is on my eyelids. 17 Although there is no violence in my hands, and my prayer is pure.
(WEB)
Point out how Job described his tears and his heart. Explain that God sees what is inside us and knows when we are truly trying to do what is right.
Talk About It
- What is one feeling you have had that made you want to cry?
- Why do you think Job told God exactly how he felt?
- How did Job’s friends try to help him, and what could they have done differently?
- What is something you could tell God when you feel sad or scared?
- How can you show kindness to a friend who is hurting?
Activity Ideas
Tear Drop Prayer Card
You will need construction paper, crayons or markers, scissors, and glue. Have each child draw a face with tears on the paper, then write or draw one thing they want to tell God. Fold the card and let them keep it by their bed as a reminder that God hears every feeling they have.
Honest Feelings Freeze Game
Play a game of freeze dance or freeze tag. When the music stops, call out a feeling like sad, worried, tired, or happy, and have children freeze in a pose that shows that feeling. Talk together about how it feels to show a real feeling and how God knows all of our feelings.
Take-Home Feelings Jar
You will need an empty jar, paper slips, and a pen. Give each child a jar and a few slips of paper to write or draw a feeling they had this week. Encourage them to drop the slip in the jar each day and pray a short prayer telling God about it. Ask them to share with their family what is in their jar.
Teacher Notes
For adults, Job 16 shows a man in deep suffering who speaks honestly to God without hiding his pain. It reminds us that lament is a real and faithful form of prayer, and that God is not offended by our raw emotions. Job also reveals the hurt that can come from well-meaning but unhelpful comfort, which invites us to listen carefully to those who are suffering.
Be careful not to suggest to children that bad things happen because they did something wrong, since this is the very idea Job’s friends pressed on him. Also avoid promising that God will always fix our problems right away. Focus instead on the truth that God hears us and cares for us in every situation.
A Prayer to Close
Dear God, thank You that we can always tell You how we really feel. When we are sad, scared, or hurt, help us to talk to You honestly. Thank You for listening to every tear and every word. Help us to be kind to others who are hurting too. Amen.
