Weekly Devotionals – June 8-12 – Lesson 8 – click to download
Monday: God’s Commands Reveal His Love
John and Jane Christian arrived at the campground Monday afternoon. After setting up their tent, they decided to walk one of the nearby trails. As they approached the trailhead, they noticed several signs posted by the park service. One warned about steep drop-offs. Another marked areas where campers were not allowed to build fires. A third reminded hikers to stay on the marked trail. Jane stopped and read them carefully. “Some people probably see these signs and think they take away the fun,” she said.
John smiled. “The ranger who posted them knows the dangers better than the people walking the trail.” As they continued hiking, John thought about Sunday’s Bible Storyline lesson. God placed Adam in a perfect garden and gave him one command concerning the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Adam understood that command as a loving warning from God. He trusted God and obeyed Him. God’s instruction helped Adam remain safe and enjoy fellowship with his Creator. Jane said, “The signs on this trail are there because someone wants to protect us. God’s commands work the same way.”
The rest of the walk gave them plenty to think about. Every warning sign reminded them that wise people listen to those who understand the dangers ahead.
What Scripture Says
Genesis 2:16-17 records God’s command concerning the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. During Sunday’s lesson, we learned that Adam trusted God, and that trust resulted in obedience. Adam appreciated God’s warning because the warning protected him. He viewed God’s law as an expression of God’s love and care. As long as Adam and Eve understood God’s command this way, they obeyed God with gratitude and appreciation.
The same principle remains true today. God’s commands reveal His character. He knows every danger that sin brings into a person’s life. He understands the pain, heartache, and destruction that follow disobedience. Because He loves us, He gives instructions that guide us toward life, fellowship, and blessing.
When God tells us to be honest, forgive others, avoid temptation, worship Him, and follow His Word, He is showing us the path of wisdom. Obedience grows when we trust the One who gave the command. The more we understand God’s goodness, the more we appreciate His instructions.
Tuesday: What We About God Shapes Our Obedience
Tuesday morning, John and Jane sat outside their tent enjoying breakfast. The campground was beginning to come alive. Families were cooking breakfast, hikers were preparing for the day, and children were riding bicycles through the campground roads.
John noticed a map posted near the campground office. A young couple was studying it and discussing which trail to take. After a few minutes they headed in one direction while another family chose a different path. Jane said, “Interesting how a person’s decision is shaped by what they believe. If they think one trail leads to the waterfall, that’s the trail they’ll follow.” John smiled. “That sounds a lot like what we learned Sunday.”
The lesson explained that Satan needed to change what Adam and Eve believed about God before he could change their loyalty to God. As long as they viewed God as loving, wise, and trustworthy, they gladly obeyed Him. Satan’s attack focused on their understanding of God’s motives. “Once Eve accepted Satan’s version of God,” Jane said, “everything else changed.” John said, “Her feelings changed, her thinking changed, and eventually her actions changed.” The rest of the morning gave them plenty to think about. Every choice people make is influenced by what they believe. The same principle applies to a person’s relationship with God.
What Scripture Says
Genesis 3:1 – “Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said…”
Genesis 3:4-5 – “And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened…”
Genesis 3:6 – “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes… she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat…”
Satan’s first attack was against what Eve believed. He questioned God’s Word, challenged God’s warning, and suggested that God was withholding something good from her. Once Eve accepted that lie, her view of the tree changed and her behavior followed. Sunday’s lesson reminded us that our beliefs shape our behavior. What we believe about God affects how we respond to God. When we believe the truth about God’s character, we trust Him and obey Him. When we accept lies about God, those lies influence our choices and actions.
Wednesday: The Results of Satan’s Victory
Wednesday morning, John and Jane decided to explore another section of the campground. A ranger had recommended a scenic trail that followed a small river through the woods. As they walked, they noticed signs of damage from a storm that had passed through several years earlier. Some large trees had fallen and remained where they landed. Sections of the trail had been rerouted around washed-out areas. New growth had filled many of the open spaces, but evidence of the storm could still be seen.
“It is amazing how one storm can leave its mark for years,” Jane said.
John looked around at the fallen trees and exposed roots. “The campground is still beautiful, but the effects of that storm are everywhere.” As they continued down the trail, Sunday’s lesson came to mind. Genesis 3 records the moment Satan successfully tempted Adam and Eve to rebel against God. That single act of disobedience affected far more than two people in a garden. The consequences spread throughout the world.
“The lesson explained that Satan won a real victory,” Jane said. “Adam and Eve were removed from the garden, sin entered the human race, and death became part of human experience.” John said, “And we still see those effects today.”
Every cemetery, every disease, every broken relationship, and every act of sin reminds us that something is wrong with the world. God’s creation still displays His power and wisdom, but it also bears the marks of the Fall. Sunday’s lesson helped John and Jane understand that the problems people experience today can be traced back to Genesis 3 and humanity’s rebellion against God.
What Scripture Says
Genesis 3:17 – “Cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;”
Romans 5:12 – “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:”
Romans 8:22 – “For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.”
These verses show the widespread effects of Adam’s sin. The curse affected mankind, the earth, and every generation that followed. Sunday’s lesson taught that Satan won a real victory in Genesis 3. Sin and death entered God’s creation, and humanity became separated from God. Yet Satan’s victory was only partial. God was already preparing His plan to defeat Satan, rescue mankind, and restore His kingdom. The rest of the Bible tells the story of that coming victory.
Thursday: God Promised Victory
Thursday evening, John and Jane sat beside the campfire watching the flames dance against the dark sky. Their camping trip was coming to an end, and they spent some time talking about the places they had visited throughout the week. They had seen evidence of old storms, damaged trails, and fallen trees. Yet they had also seen new growth, repaired paths, and signs that the campground was thriving once again. Jane looked toward a section of the campground where workers had recently repaired a footbridge.
“I like seeing things restored,” she said. “When something is broken, it is encouraging to know someone is working to make it right again.” John said, “That reminds me of the second half of Sunday’s lesson. After Adam and Eve sinned, God immediately revealed His plan to bring victory and restoration.” The lesson had explained that Satan won a partial victory in Genesis 3, but he did not win the war. Before Adam and Eve left the garden, God announced that a coming Deliverer would defeat Satan. From that moment forward, the Bible follows God’s plan to fulfill that promise. “The rest of the Bible makes much more sense when you see that connection,” Jane said. “God was already preparing the solution before human history had gone very far.” John smiled. “And every major event in Scripture moves that promise forward until Jesus arrives.” As they watched the fire burn lower, they thanked God that Genesis 3 does not end with defeat. It points forward to hope, redemption, and the certainty of God’s victory
What Scripture Says
Genesis 3:15 – “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”
Galatians 4:4-5 – “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman… To redeem them that were under the law.”
1 John 3:8 – “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.”
Genesis 3:15 contains God’s first promise of a coming Deliverer. Satan would wound the promised Seed, but the promised Seed would ultimately crush Satan’s power. Galatians 4 shows that Jesus is the fulfillment of that promise. First, John explains that Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil. Sunday’s lesson reminded us that God’s plan for victory began in Genesis 3 and unfolds throughout the rest of Scripture. Every step moves toward the day when God’s kingdom is fully restored and Satan is completely defeated.
Friday: Choosing Your Kingdom
Friday morning, John and Jane finished packing their campsite and prepared for the drive home. Before leaving, they took one last walk around the campground. During the week they had met families from different states, talked with hikers on the trails, and listened to stories around campfires. Some people enjoyed following the campground rules and helping others. Others ignored posted signs, left trash behind, and created problems for those around them.
As they walked back toward their vehicle, Jane said, “You can usually tell who is cooperating with the campground and who is creating problems for it.” John nodded. “That reminds me of Sunday’s lesson. Satan wanted Adam and Eve to stop following God and start following him.” The lesson explained that Satan’s goal was much bigger than eating a piece of fruit. He wanted Adam and Eve’s allegiance. He wanted them to reject God’s authority and choose their own path. The same battle continues today. Every person must decide whose voice they will trust and whose authority they will follow.
As they drove away from the campground, John thought about how many people live as though God’s commands do not matter. Some ignore God’s Word. Others decide for themselves what is right and wrong. Many want God’s blessings while refusing God’s authority. Sunday’s lesson showed that this is the same rebellion that began in Genesis 3.
What Scripture Says
Joshua 24:15 – “Choose you this day whom ye will serve…”
John 8:44 – “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do.”
Colossians 1:13 – “Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:”
These verses remind us that every person belongs to a kingdom and follows a king. Satan’s goal is still to gain allegiance by convincing people to reject God’s authority and follow their own desires. Those who remain in Satan’s kingdom continue down a path that leads to judgment and separation from God. Through faith in Jesus Christ, people can be delivered from the kingdom of darkness and become citizens of God’s kingdom. Sunday’s lesson challenged us to consider whose authority we are following and whose kingdom we are helping advance through our daily choices.