Even Little Things
WELCOME TO WEEK 4
You are about to lose a tooth and can’t eat an apple for lunch. This is a problem. You read about a village in Africa that has to walk 4 miles one way to get dirty water for the day. This is a problem. One problem is big and one is small, but which one does God care about. God cares about our small problems too and it is not too small for God.
BIBLE STORY
Job stands in awe of who God is in comparison to who he is. After God has questioned Job and it is his turn to answer, He recognizes the experience he has had with God and can now say he knows God for himself. There are other instances in the Bible who have stated they now know God for themselves after having an experience with God. They see God not just for the God of their fathers, but for themselves.
I have felt him…
I have seen him change the lives of…
I have felt him change my heart…
I have felt God’s love through others love by…
I have seen God through the actions of…
I have experienced God in…
I have read about who God is…
Job experienced God through his questioning and seeing that God can see what Job can not. But God does not leave Job there but then restores Job to twice as much as he had before. God is big enough to handle our big problems, but he also cares about the small things we care about. God sees Job and wants to bless him once again. God sees each one of us. He knows our names and wants to help us not through just the big problems, but the small problems in each of our lives as well.
Read or listen to the scripture Job 42:1-6, 10-17
What did Job reply to God about what he knows? (That GOd can do all things)
What did Job say he spoke of? (Things he did not understand that were too wonderful for him)
Job heard about God, but now what did Job experience? (Job saw God with his own eyes)
How did God restore Job? (His fortunes with twice as much as he had before)
Who came to see Job after his health was restored? (His brothers and sisters and all who knew him before)
What did each one of them give Job? (A piece of silver and a gold ring)
How many children did Job have? (7 sons and 3 daughters)
Who did Job give an inheritance to? (His sons and his daughters)
How long did Job live after this? (140 years)
BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY
Activity
Print the following activity sheet and cut them into strips. Place all the strips in a bowl. Pull out the strips one at a time and sort them into groups of big problems and small problems. In the bible we see lots of people with lots of problems! They didn’t always trust God to solve their problems, but God was always there to help them. Some of their problems were big and some seemed small, but God was there for all of them. There is no problem that we have that is too small for God
Materials: 2 bowls, scissors
Alternate
God blesses us in many ways, and not just with things. It is easy to count the blessings that we can physically see such as a food on the table, a new house, or a new bike, but God can bless us in other ways too. Discuss other ways God takes care of use without giving us a physical gift. (Comforts those who are sad, gives us peace, with us when we are lonely etc.)
Materials: construction paper, crayons or coloring pencils
Independent activity:
With the help of an adult, find a newspaper article describing a current problem in our world. Read through the article with a Christian framework. Think of ways you would solve this problem. Discuss ways God would want Christians to handle and solve this problem. Remember God is able to handle the big and small problems of this world and He already has a plan set in motion. God has already delivered us and provided a way of salvation.
Materials: adults approved newspaper article
ARTS & CAFTS
CRAFT 1
Coloring page
Materials: printed coloring sheet, scissors
Craft 2
Coloring page
Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons
FOLLOW-UP
Read or listen to Mark 10:46-52
In this story Jesus is walking through Jericho and a man named Bartimaeus calls out to Jeus to have mercy on him and heal him. When Jesus asked what He could do for him, Bartimaeus asked to be receive his sight, to which Jesus answered his faith healed him. We do not know if Bartimaeu met Jesus previously but he knew enough about Jesus to know that He could heal. He had faith to believe that Jesus could do what no one else could do for him, give him sight. We are called to have faith as well. We may not know what the future holds, but we can trust that God knows and will work everything for our good according to His purpose.
What did Bartimaeus have faith Jesus could do?
How did Bartimaeus show he had faith?
How did Job show that he had faith?
How can we show our faith?
What problems of Jobs were small?
What were some of Job’s big problems?
How did Job realize that he was small but God was big?
What are some big problems God handled in the Bible?
How can God use us to be problem solvers in the lives of others?
Practical Application at Home
Even though Job did not know the end of his story, he had faith to believe that God was good regardless of the blessings he received. He was willing to accept the good and bad life could bring but would not let go of his faith through it all. Faith is believing what we can not see. We need faith to believe that God is good even when we can’t see the blessings pouring in, Even during difficult times and the trials of life, we can have faith that God is still watching over us. We can have faith he is still in control.
God restored Job double what he lost. Job lived for another 140 years and saw 4 generations of his children. Although we may not always see such a dramatic end to a difficult time, we can look at difficult times and see how God has restored us or the situation. Think about a time when things were difficult and you did’t see a solution, big or small, and tell how God has restored or is currently restoring that situation.
Additional Resources
Outings to Reinforce Lesson
Enjoy the cool weather and take a nature walk. Observe the things God created and how they work together in His plan. What part do each of us play in God’s plan for us?