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for Parents of Children

BIBLICAL PASSAGE Job 1:1–2:10; 42:10–17 “Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart.
The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of
MEMORY VERSE Job 1:21 the LORD be praised.” Job 1:21

Do you recall your child going through the “terrible two’s”? Children often have difficulty understanding why things
Maybe your child wanted to come inside wearing muddy happen that ruin their fun, happiness, and enjoyment of
shoes, but you made him or her take them off instead. life. In those cases, it seems easy to blame the one in
Your child then threw a tantrum because you spoiled the charge—a parent or maybe God—for causing or allowing
fun! A two-year-old does not understand why muddy it to happen. As a parent, help your child understand that
shoes are not allowed in the house; all he or she knows is God allows consequences when we disobey Him. And
you have made him or her unhappy. Sometimes as adults sometimes we feel the consequences of others’ sin. Fair?
things happen that we do not like or understand. How do No. Real? Absolutely! Sin can allow Satan to interrupt the
we respond to God in those times? Is He trying to steal flow of God’s blessings.
our fun, our happiness, or our joy?
As you pray for your children, pray that while God allows
Read Job 1:1–2:10 and Job 42:10–17. Job was a righteous difficulty to come, they will understand that He knows
man. Satan, not God, authored Job’s difficult circum- their limits and desires for them to depend on Him alone
stances. While God did allow Satan to afflict Job, God for strength. Also, pray that they will seek for the ways
placed limits on Satan’s affliction. Job experienced incredi- in which God will use the bad circumstances for good in
ble pain, yet he did not curse God. He did not sin. their lives or to bless the lives of others. Pray that they will
Because of this, God blessed Job with more than he had understand that while this world is filled with pain, for
before. God took what Satan meant for harm and turned it those in Christ, eternity is filled with spiritual blessings
into good. God allows difficulty to enter our lives, but He more wonderful than our minds can even imagine.
sets limits. And if we allow Him to, God will take the bad
and work good through it.

F A M I LY D E V O T I O N T I M E
Connect . . .
Using a source of light such as the sun, a lamp, or a flashlight, the family creates shadows: shadow puppets, playing
“shadow tag”—whatever their imagination allows. Explain that you cannot have a shadow without first having light; a
shadow is simply the absence of light. Point out that the light source was blocked from reaching whatever surface you
used to create shadows.

Explore . . .
Read: Job was a man who had many blessings and he trusted God. Then one day, Satan wanted to test Job’s
trust in God. Then, read Job 1:13–21. Discuss as a family: If God is a good God, and gives us good things, then
where (or whom) does evil come from? Mention that sin can allow Satan to interrupt the flow of God’s blessings,
like interrupting light creates shadows.

Transform . . .
Family members talk about how God can take something Satan intended for harm and turn it into something good.
Discuss: What are some examples you know of when God has taken something bad and made it good? Read
Job 42:10–17 to conclude.

Pray that your family will trust God when difficult times come and always look for ways God uses difficult times for good.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright© 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.
Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Clarity Publishers, 2007. All rights reserved. Permission is granted for reproduction only for the study of
Life Bible Study curriculum by a licensed church during the licensed year. No online or other duplication is permitted.

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