Big question
Why do people suffer?
Key verse: “For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.” — Romans 8:22 (KJV)
Supporting memory verse: “The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart.” — Psalm 34:18 (KJV)
Teacher’s aim
Children sometimes assume that suffering means one of three things:
- God is angry with me.
- God does not love me.
- God is not powerful enough to stop it.
The book of Job gently challenges all three ideas. This lesson is not intended to explain every reason for suffering. Even Job was not told why he suffered.
Children should leave knowing this central truth:
We do not always know why people suffer, but we can know that God never leaves His children.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the lesson, children should understand:
- We live in a broken world because of sin.
- Sometimes suffering has no simple explanation.
- God welcomes our questions and prayers.
- We can trust God even when we do not understand.
- God is always good, even when life is difficult.
Materials
- A Bible
- A large wrapped and sealed gift box
- A blindfold
- Chairs, cones, cushions or similar items for a simple obstacle course
- Whiteboard and pens
- Paper or printed activity sheets
Lesson plan
| Section | Time |
|---|---|
| Introduction | 5 minutes |
| Bible reading | 10 minutes |
| Teaching moment | 5 minutes |
| Interactive demonstration | 15 minutes |
| Discussion | 10 minutes |
| Prayer | 5 minutes |
| Worksheet activity | 10 minutes |
1. Introduction
Ask the children:
- Have you ever scraped your knee?
- Have you ever been sick?
- Have you ever felt lonely?
- Have you ever prayed for something that did not happen?
Allow several answers, then say:
Sometimes we ask a really big question: Why do people suffer? Today we are going to meet someone in the Bible who asked the same question.
Write Why do people suffer? on the board. Explain that today the group will not discover every answer, but they will discover Someone they can trust.
2. Read the story of Job
Explain that Job loved and obeyed God. Then, in a very short time, almost everything in his life went wrong.
Job 1:1–5 — Meet Job
Introduce Job and notice his relationship with God.
Job 1:13–22 — Everything is lost
Pause after verse 21 and ask, “How do you think Job felt?”
Job 2:7–10 — Job becomes sick
Explain briefly that even Job’s friends struggled to understand what had happened.
Job 38:1–7 — God speaks
Ask whether God explained everything. He did not. God reminded Job that He is wise and powerful, and sees much more than we do.
Job 42:10–17 — God restores Job
Explain carefully that not every story ends this way during our earthly lives. Job’s restoration shows that God had not forgotten him and points forward to the day when God will make everything right.
Teacher note: Avoid suggesting that faithful people will always receive earthly blessings after suffering. Emphasise God’s ultimate restoration of all things.
3. Teaching moment: two circles
Draw two circles on the board.
In the first, write Things I understand, with examples such as why we become hungry, fall over or break a toy.
In the second, write Things I do not understand, with sensitive examples appropriate for your group—perhaps serious illness, natural disasters or losing someone young.
Explain:
Job lived in the second circle. He did not understand, but he kept talking to God.
Write underneath:
Trust does not mean knowing every answer.
4. Activity: trusting the guide
This activity helps children experience what it feels like to trust someone when they cannot see the whole picture.
- Arrange a safe obstacle course using chairs, cushions, cones or books.
- Put the children into pairs.
- Blindfold one child while the other becomes the guide.
- The guide may use only their voice—no touching.
- Switch roles after completing the course.
Afterwards, ask:
- How did it feel to be blindfolded?
- What helped you trust your guide?
- Did you always know where you were going?
- Could your guide see more than you could?
Connect the experience to Job:
Job could not see what God could see. Sometimes we cannot understand what is happening either. But God sees the whole picture and promises never to leave us.
Read Hebrews 13:5b: “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”
Optional object lesson: the unopened gift
Show the children a beautifully wrapped gift and ask what they think is inside. Allow guesses, but do not open it.
Explain that we do not always know what is inside God’s plans. Not seeing inside does not mean nothing is there. We learn to trust the character of the person who prepared the gift.
Discussion questions
Ages 5–7: observation
- Who was today’s Bible story about?
- Did Job love God?
- What happened to Job?
- Did Job stop praying?
- Who spoke to Job?
- Did God forget Job?
Ages 8–10: understanding
- Why were Job’s friends wrong?
- Did Job know why these things happened?
- Why do you think God did not explain everything?
- What did Job learn about God?
Ages 10–12: application
- Has something ever happened to you that did not seem fair?
- Is it all right to ask God difficult questions? Why?
- What is the difference between trusting God and understanding everything?
- How could Job’s story help someone who is hurting?
- Why does the Bible include stories where every question is not answered?
Key truth
Invite everyone to say this together:
Even when I do not understand, I can trust God because He never leaves me.
Printable activity ideas
Ages 5–7
Ask children to draw Job looking towards heaven or God speaking from the whirlwind. Add the sentence: Even when I do not understand, God is with me.
Ages 8–12
Create a word search or maze using words from Job 1, such as blessed, worshipped, answered, messenger, wilderness, sanctified and trust.
Alternatively, divide a page into two circles headed Things I understand and Things I do not understand. Let children add their own examples, then write the key truth beneath them.
Prayer
Allow children to name situations they do not understand. Pray without trying to provide easy explanations. Thank God that He is wise, good and close to the broken-hearted, and ask Him to help each child trust Him.
Take-home challenge
Encourage each child to ask someone at home:
Can you tell me about a time when you trusted God even though you did not understand what was happening?
Invite a few children to share what they learned at the next lesson. This connects Sunday’s lesson with family conversations and demonstrates that trusting God is something believers of every age continue to learn.