Did God Really Say ______?

The Garden of Eden must have been a beautiful place! Amid all the beauty, some difficult decisions had to be made.

To Think About:

• Read Genesis 2:15-17. From your window at home, work, or school, how many trees can you see right now? If you were told to stay away from one, how tempted would you be to go check it out? How close would you get? If you stayed far away, would you still think about that tree? Why or why not?
• Read Genesis 3:1-7. The serpent created doubt in Eve’s mind. “God might not know what he’s doing. You won’t really die. It’s not as bad as it sounds.” What does doubt do in an otherwise good relationship? What did doubt do in the relationship between God, Eve, and Adam? To what other problems did doubt lead?
• Read Genesis 3:21-24. God didn’t give a subtle message. He proclaimed a loud message: “You can’t go back.” Because of their decision, what are some of the many things Adam and Eve had to leave behind? What could they not return to?
• Read Revelation 22:12-14. Jesus’ life and teaching showed a way to return to God, life, and the tree. In what ways have you followed Jesus so you’ll be in God’s presence? In what ways do you still doubt what God says?

To Pray About:

• Express to God how you have doubted his words before. Explain as best as you can why you put your desires before his words. Let him hear you ask for forgiveness for those times, no matter how recent or far back they might be.
• Praise and thank God for providing a way back to a right relationship with him. Thank Jesus for opening a way back to the tree of life.

To Live Out:

Your everyday life rarely consists of a walk in a garden, yet it still contains directives about what is best for your life and those around you. Learn what God has said, what Jesus taught, and what the Holy Spirit brings to mind. Aware of such things, know those are truth. Anything or anyone that would speak to the contrary creates doubt. Doubt, left unchecked, blocks the way back and obscures the way forward. God’s words, and his Living Word, give true freedom, much forgiveness, and the ultimate way to life.