For Kids · 3 min with a grown-up
Now it is Job's turn to answer his friend. Job is hurting, and he tells his friends what he really needs from them.
Today's Story
Job listened to his friend Eliphaz, and then he answered. “If only you could weigh my sadness,” Job said. “It would be heavier than all the sand by the sea.” Job wanted his friends to know just how much he was hurting.
Job's friends had not been very kind. Instead of comforting Job, they had been telling him what he did wrong. That did not help. It only made Job feel more alone.
So Job told them what a hurting person really needs. “A friend should be kind to someone who is sad,” he said. When someone is down, they do not need a lecture. They need a friend who stays close and is gentle.
Job was not asking for much. He just wanted his friends to care, to listen, and to be kind. That is what every hurting heart needs.
And that is something we can give to people too.
A Big Word
Memory Verse
Talk About It
- Think about a time you felt sad. Did anyone make it worse, or did someone make it better? What did they do?
- Job said a hurting friend needs kindness, not a lecture. What is the difference between being kind to someone and just telling them what they did wrong?
- Who do you know that might be feeling sad right now? What is one kind thing you could do for them?