Jesus said to [Satan], “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’ ”
— Matthew 4:10
Talk about a great beginning! After God formed Eve, the first woman, she lived in a beautiful garden full of flowering plants and tons of trees that produced yummy fruit. Eve and her husband Adam could pick fruit from any tree except the one in the middle of the garden. God had told them not to eat the fruit of that tree.
All was well between Eve and God. Until one day.
While Eve strolled the gorgeous garden, a serpent slithered out on a branch and spoke to her. “Did God really say you couldn’t eat from every tree in the garden?”
“We may eat fruit from the trees,” Eve said, “but God said not to eat fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden. He said if we touched it, we’d die.”
“That’s silly. You won’t die,” the serpent sneered. “God doesn’t want you to eat it because when you do, your eyes will open and you’ll be like him.”
Eve stared at the smooth and shiny fruit on the tree in the middle of the garden. Tempted, she picked the fruit and ate some. Then she gave it to her husband, Adam, who also bit into it.
Satan, the crafty con, had disguised himself as a serpent to tempt Eve. And his half-truth worked. According to Satan, Eve would be like God when she ate the fruit. She wasn’t all-powerful like God, but she did learn the difference between good and evil. She and Adam realized they were naked, and they felt guilty for what they had done. Later when they heard the Lord strolling in the garden, they ducked behind a tree and hid from him.
God knew what Eve and her husband had done and why they’d hidden from him. Because God loved them, he showed them grace and used animal skins to make better clothes for them. But Eve still suffered the consequences of her sin. No more strolls in the beautiful garden with God. She and her husband had to leave the garden, and life became hard.
Are you ever tempted to listen to the wrong people? Kids at school, friends in the neighborhood, or even a brother or sister can make bad things look pretty good to us.
When you’re tempted, you can remember Eve’s story. You can choose to listen to God and trust his love for you. When you do make a bad choice and mess up, you can go to God, confess your sin to him, and accept his gracious forgiveness.
More To Explore: James 4:7
Girl Talk: Have you ever been tempted to do something that you knew was wrong?
God Talk: “Father God, help me to recognize temptation for what it is and help me to refuse to go against you and your Word. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
From Real Girls of the Bible by Mona Hodgson