“The Lord God called to the man, ‘Where are you?’”
— Genesis 3:9 (NIV)
Long ago, God made a beautiful garden called Eden. It was full of tall trees, sweet fruit, and friendly animals. The first man and woman, Adam and Eve, lived there, and they were happy. Best of all, they got to walk and talk with God.
God gave them everything good. He told them, “You may eat from any tree you like. There is just one tree you must not eat from. That one is not for you.” It was only one little rule, and everything else was theirs.
But a sneaky serpent came along. He whispered to Eve, “Did God really say you can’t eat from that tree? You won’t be in trouble. You’ll be just like God!” That wasn’t true at all. It was a trick.
Eve looked at the fruit. It looked so pretty. So she took a bite, and she gave some to Adam, and he took a bite too. They did the very thing God asked them not to do.
Right away their hearts felt funny and sad. When they heard God walking in the garden, they were scared, so they hid behind the trees. God called out gently, “Where are you?” He already knew, but He wanted them to come and talk to Him.
God was sad about their wrong choice, but He still loved Adam and Eve so much. He made warm clothes to cover them, and He made a special promise: one day He would send Someone to fix everything that went wrong and make it good again.
The Big Idea
Adam and Eve made a wrong choice, but God never stopped loving them. When we do wrong, we don’t have to hide — we can come to God, who loves us and promised to make things right.
Reflect & Discuss
- 1.What was the one rule God gave Adam and Eve?
- 2.Why do you think Adam and Eve hid from God?
- 3.What can you do when you’ve made a wrong choice?
A Prayer
Dear God, thank You for loving Adam and Eve even when they did wrong, and for loving me too. When I make a wrong choice, help me not to hide, but to come to You. Thank You for Your promise to make everything right. Amen.
The same story, told for…