For Kids · 3 min with a grown-up
Job has three friends who came to sit with him. In Job 20, one of them named Zophar gives a long speech. He means well, but he gets something wrong.
Today's Story
Job's friend Zophar listened to Job for a little while. Then he jumped up to talk, because he just could not wait any longer.
“I have to answer you,” Zophar said. “I have figured it all out.” And then he gave a long speech.
Zophar was sure he knew exactly how the world worked. He thought good things only ever happen to good people, and hard things only ever happen to people who did something wrong. So Zophar believed Job must have been bad. That is why he kept saying it.
But Zophar was wrong. Job had not done anything to deserve his hard time. Zophar was so busy being sure he was right that he forgot the most important thing of all: his friend was hurting, and he needed someone gentle.
Sometimes we do not know the whole story. The kindest thing is not to guess and point fingers. It is to sit close, listen, and be gentle — the way we would want a friend to be with us.
A Big Word
Talk About It
- Has anyone ever blamed you for something that was not your fault? How did that feel?
- Zophar was so sure he was right that he stopped being kind. Why is it better to listen first before deciding what happened?
- What is one gentle thing you could say or do for a friend who is having a hard day?