Believe God

Youth Devotional

January 3: Believe God

 

Reading:

Genesis 3:1–6 (NKJV) ¹ Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” ² And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; ³ but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ” ⁴ Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. ⁵ For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” ⁶ So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.

Reflection:

In this passage of Scripture we learn that the first man and woman listened to the lie of Satan rather than the truth of God. Satan suggested that God had set up rules not to protect them from pain, but to keep them from pleasure. Eve convinced herself that there were some benefits in disobeying God. The food tasted good, the food looked good, and the food would help her gain knowledge that she did not have. All of that was true, but not completely true. Although sin can be pleasurable it is not completely pleasurable. The consequences of her decision would lead her to also receive the pain of the judgment of God for her sin, the pain of guilt for disobeying God, and the pain of the shame she would feel in not obeying God.

You cannot disobey God and expect to receive the blessings of God. Sin leads to pain that is greater than the temporary pleasure it yields. When someone disobeys God they also like Eve influence others to disobey God making things worse for everyone. Sin has a way of multiplying. Satan never tells the whole truth. God always tells the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

 

Response:

1.      How did Satan convince Eve to disobey God?

 

 

2.      Why should you always believe God?