My wife and I try to be careful about what we promise to our children. This is about more than just being true to our word. It is a key factor in creating and nurturing trust. One of the most astounding qualities of God is that He always keeps His promises. This week, we will focus on the first gift we receive through the coming of Jesus—the gift of God’s promises made and kept. Today’s reading details the first episode in the tragic history of human disobedience to God. God created a good world for His image-bearers. He provided food to eat and meaningful work for them to accomplish (Gen. 2:15). He also gave a specific warning, “You must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die” (Gen. 2:17). Into this paradise came a crafty serpent, Satan in disguise, who convinced the woman to question God’s command and His motives (Gen. 3:1–4). The woman and man both knowingly disobeyed God’s command and chose to eat from the tree (v. 6). When God confronted them, He judged all three. But God also provided a ray of hope. He said to the serpent, “I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel” (3:15). God indicated that there would be ongoing conflict between the offspring of the woman and the serpent, but that through her descendants would come victory. This promise is clarified in the rest of the Old Testament and fulfilled by the birth of Christ (Gal. 4:4). >> It is easy to break our promises. We often fail to follow through on what we say. God, on the other hand, never breaks His promises. What He promised that day to Eve became truth through Jesus Christ. You can trust Him to keep His word to you!