This devotional is taken from the YouVersion HolyBible App – “Our Daily Bread Teens Edition” – called “Being Told “Don’t”” (https://odb.org//). ENJOY! - Robin W.
Scripture
Genesis 3:1-7
3 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.
He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” 4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when 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, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise,[b] she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.
For the Adults:
We hate being told, “Don’t” – right? We hear it from parents, teachers, grandparents, brothers and sisters, and even our friends. It can be so annoying when people stop us from doing what we want to do.
But sometimes we need to be told “don’t” – for our own good. If we had the total freedom to do whatever we wanted, without anyone to guide us, we could end up making some pretty bad choices.
Take Adam and Eve for example. They lived in the most amazing place on this earth, where they had lots of freedom. However, when God said, “Don’t” eat from this one specific tree to protect them form a bad decision, they didn’t listen (Genesis 3).
Sometimes we can’t understand why we’re told “Don’t”, especially by God. But if we remember that He created this world and knows best how it works, it will change our way of thinking. It’s just like being told by the manufacturer of your phone not to put it in a microwave; it’s an instruction you’ll follow, because you trust that the manufacturer, who made it, knows that it will explode. (Plus –that would be an expensive oopsy!) We need to realize that when God says “Don’t”, He’s telling us the best way to live.
God doesn’t say “Don’t” to stop our fun; He says it to protect us from bad choices.
For the Kiddos:
Enter:
What do you think the Garden of Eden looked liked?
Where could God be in this Garden?
How does God guide your life like your parents?
Hear:
Read the Bible Passages. (Genesis 3:1-7 (ESV)) For younger children, a picture Bible may be used.
Pause
Take a few seconds, or maybe a minute to sit with the scripture in silence. This might be a great time to choose a different place to do your devotional time. Maybe sit outside or in the backyard and be still and let God’s word work in their hearts!
Wonder:
If you had total freedom from Mom and Dad to do whatever you wanted – what would it be? What choices would you make?
Would there be any danger or negative consequences that might happen from that freedom?
What do you like best about your parents looking out for your safety and interests?
Bless:
Affirm what was discussed about the story.
Obeying your parents leads to wisdom. Obedience brings you closer to God. Obedience is hard. Here are some tips for obeying your parents when they say “no” or “don’t”:
Listen
Show respect
Have patience
Communicate, communicate, communicate!
Praise God, Give thanks, Pray for others, confess sins, Praise God!
Example:
Father God –thank you for your Word which gives us instructions on how to live. Thank you for loving us so much that you care for our safety and happiness. Help us to be obedient to you and to our parents, especially when you tell us “no” or “don’t” do something. Give us wisdom to make wise choices. We pray this in Jesus’ name - Amen