This lesson teaches children that God is always fair and that he rewards those who trust and seek him. It is written for ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes to teach.
Big Idea
God is always fair. He takes care of people who love him and trust him, and he wants us to ask him for help.
Memory Verse
Job 8:5
If you want to seek God diligently, make your supplication to the Almighty.
(WEB)
Have the children cup their hands together, then open them up like a flower blooming as they say the verse. Repeat it slowly, asking everyone to open their hands on the word “supplication,” which means asking God for help.
The Story: Job 8 for Kids
Job was a good man who had lost many things. His friends came to sit with him, and they were sad to see him so hurt. Bildad was one of these friends, and he began to speak with Job about what he thought had happened.
Bildad told Job that God is never unfair. He said that God does not twist what is right. Bildad believed that Job’s children must have done something wrong, and so God had let them suffer. Bildad was not kind in the way he spoke, and he did not know the whole story.
Then Bildad gave Job some advice. He said, “If you seek God and ask him for help, and if you are pure and good, God will surely come and bless you.” Bildad wanted Job to know that God wants to help people who turn to him.
Bildad also told Job to ask the people who lived long ago what they had learned. He said that people who lived before us often had wisdom to share. He reminded Job that our days on earth are short, like a shadow passing by.
Next, Bildad talked about people who forget God. He said that their hope is like a plant that grows quickly in the sun but then dries up, or like a spider’s web that breaks easily. Bildad said that those who forget God will not last.
At the end, Bildad said something hopeful. He told Job that God will not throw away a good person, and that God will fill that person’s mouth with laughter and shouting for joy. Children can remember that God keeps his promises to people who love him.
Read It Together
Job 8:3
Does God pervert justice? Or does the Almighty pervert righteousness?
(WEB)
Point out that Bildad asks a question about God’s justice. Ask the children to say in their own words what “fair” means, and then tell them that God is always fair.
Job 8:5-6
5 If you want to seek God diligently, make your supplication to the Almighty. 6 If you were pure and upright, surely now he would awaken for you, and make the habitation of your righteousness prosperous.
(WEB)
Show the children how these verses tell us what God wants us to do: to seek him and ask him for help. Explain that God is ready to listen and to bless the people who come to him with an honest heart.
Job 8:20-21
20 “Behold, God will not cast away a blameless man, neither will he uphold the evildoers. 21 He will still fill your mouth with laughter, your lips with shouting.
(WEB)
Point out that God does not throw away people who are good, and that he will fill their lives with laughter and joy. Let the children know that this is a promise they can hold onto.
Talk About It
- What is one thing you could ask God for help with today?
- How can you tell that someone is being fair to you?
- Why do you think God wants us to come to him when we need help?
- What makes you feel safe when you know God is with you?
- How can you show God’s fairness to your friends and family this week?
Activity Ideas
Paper Flower Craft
You will need construction paper, scissors, glue, and crayons. Have each child draw a large flower on paper, then cut it out and write “God is fair” in the center. Encourage them to decorate their flower and take it home as a reminder that God is always good and fair.
Seeking God Game
Hide small paper cards with simple prayer requests around the room. Ask the children to seek them out, and when they find one, they read it aloud together. Explain that just as they searched for the cards, we seek God when we need help, and he is always ready to hear us.
Take-Home Prayer Jar
You will need a clean jar, paper strips, and a marker. Ask each child to write one thing they want to ask God for and fold it up into the jar. Encourage the family to pray over the papers together at dinner each week, reminding everyone that God listens and is always fair.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this passage shows that Bildad believed God always rewards the good and punishes the wicked, and he used this belief to judge Job’s suffering. Job’s story later reveals that Bildad’s reasoning was incomplete, and God himself corrects his friends at the end of the book. Adults can see in this chapter both real truths about God’s justice and the danger of speaking about God without humility.
With children, avoid suggesting that suffering always comes from someone’s sin. Be careful not to imply that a child who is sick or sad must have done something wrong, since this chapter is spoken by a friend who was mistaken about Job’s situation.
A Prayer to Close
Dear God, thank you that you are always fair and good to us. Help us to seek you when we need help, and help us trust that you will listen. Fill our hearts with joy and laughter, and help us to show your kindness to others. Amen.
