call:
The Lord be with you.

response:
And also with you.

call:
Today’s symbol is the serpent and the fruit. When people listened to the serpent instead of God, they sinned. But God loved them so much that he sent his Son to
save them.

response:
Thanks be to God!

Scripture reading : Genesis 3:1-7 (or 3:1-19*)

Things went wrong so quickly! The very rst people God made chose to doubt God’s words. They wondered if God’s words were true, or really good. Instead of trusting God, they listened to the serpent. God told Adam and Eve not to eat any fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, because if they did they would die. But Adam and Eve disobeyed God, because they didn’t believe his words.

And as soon as Adam and Eve stopped believing God’s words, they stopped believing that God truly loved them, too. They ran, and they hid from God—something they had never done before! Something was broken in their hearts, and in the beautiful world that God made. They couldn’t put things back together. They had to leave the beautiful garden, and they weren’t close to God in the same way any more. But God loves his people. And God refuses to stay separated. God always, always comes after his people.

pray:
Holy God, thank you for never letting us go. Thank you that even though people disobeyed, you refuse to stay apart from us. Thank you that you have promised us a Savior. Amen.

Download the entire Jesse Tree Devotional

*longer reading are for adults or families with older children.