This lesson teaches children that they can tell God the truth when they are sad or hurting, and that God still listens. It is written for children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes to teach.
Big Idea
Job was very sad, and he told God honestly how he felt. God wants us to bring our real feelings to Him, because He is still our faithful friend even on hard days.
Memory Verse
Job 6:24
“Teach me, and I will hold my peace. Cause me to understand wherein I have erred.
(WEB)
Have the children sit with their hands folded in their laps, then slowly open their hands wide as they say the verse together. Opening the hands shows that we can give our hard feelings to God. Repeat it three times, getting a little quieter each time.
The Story: Job 6 for Kids
Job was a good man who loved God very much. One day he lost his animals, his servants, and his children, and his body became sick with painful sores. Job felt so sad and tired that he wished he could just rest forever. He did not understand why all these hard things had happened to him.
Three friends came to sit with Job, and they stayed quiet with him for a whole week. Job finally spoke, and he told God everything that was in his heart. He said his pain felt heavier than the sand on the seashore. He felt like God’s arrows were stuck inside him, and he did not know what to do.
Job’s friend Eliphaz had come to visit him too, and Job wanted his friends to be kind to him. Job said, “To him who is ready to faint, kindness should be shown from his friend.” He was asking them to help him, but his friends did not always know what to say. Job’s friends were not very good at comforting him, and Job felt let down by them.
Job was honest with God about his questions. He asked God to teach him and show him where he had made mistakes. Job wanted to understand what was happening, and he believed God would listen when he spoke. Even in his sadness, Job kept talking to God instead of walking away from Him.
Job did not pretend to feel happy when he was not. He told God the truth, and he trusted that God could handle his big feelings. This chapter shows us that it is okay to bring our hardest questions and our sadness to God in prayer.
Read It Together
Job 6:4
For the arrows of the Almighty are within me. My spirit drinks up their poison. The terrors of God set themselves in array against me.
(WEB)
Point out that Job describes his pain honestly, even when it feels very heavy. Explain that children can say how they feel to God in the same way, without hiding anything from Him.
Job 6:11
What is my strength, that I should wait? What is my end, that I should be patient?
(WEB)
Ask the children what Job was feeling when he asked these questions. Explain that Job felt very tired and weak, and he was not sure how long he could keep going. Remind them that God is strong even when we feel weak.
Job 6:30
Is there injustice on my tongue? Can’t my taste discern mischievous things?
(WEB)
Show the children that Job wanted God to know he was telling the truth. Explain that God cares about honesty, and He wants us to speak truthfully to Him in prayer.
Talk About It
- What is one feeling you have had that was very big and heavy, like Job’s sadness?
- How do you think Job felt when his friends did not know what to say to him?
- What is one thing you could tell God when you are feeling sad or scared?
- Why do you think God wants us to be honest with Him instead of pretending?
- Who is someone you can talk to when you feel hurt, and how can you help a friend who is sad?
Activity Ideas
Feelings Heart Craft
You will need paper, crayons or markers, and scissors. Have each child draw a large heart on the paper and cut it out. Ask them to write or draw one feeling they have had, whether happy, sad, or scared, on one side of the heart. On the other side, they can write a short sentence telling God about that feeling.
Arrows and Shields Game
You will need a soft ball or a balled-up sock, and an open space in the room. Have the children stand in a line and take turns tossing the soft ball to each other. As they toss, say a feeling word, such as “sad,” and the child who catches it must name something they can tell God about that feeling. This helps children practice naming their feelings and talking to God.
Prayer Pocket Take-Home
You will need a small paper bag or envelope, and some slips of paper. Ask each child to write or draw one honest thing they want to tell God this week. Place the slips in the bag or envelope and have them take it home. Encourage them to pull out one slip each night and pray about it before bed.
Teacher Notes
Job’s story shows adults that honest lament is a real and faithful way to pray. Job does not hide his anguish or pretend his suffering is small. He brings his grief directly to God, and the book as a whole shows that God welcomes that kind of honesty. Adults can take encouragement that wrestling with God is not a lack of faith.
With children, avoid overstating the reasons behind Job’s suffering. The chapter does not explain why these hard things happened to him, and it is better to say so plainly than to offer a neat answer. Focus on the truth that God listens, and that Job still spoke to Him.
A Prayer to Close
Dear God, thank You for listening to us when we feel sad or tired. Help us to tell You the truth about our feelings, just like Job did. Thank You that You are always with us and never leave us alone. Amen.
