The Pumpkin Gospel: A Toddler Devotion for Fall

Growing up my family had a favorite fall tradition of carving pumpkins. We would wait until Dad got home from work, carve funny faces into jack-o-lanterns, and then read The Pumpkin Patch Parable (La Parabola de la Epoca de las Calabazas). This beautiful story by Liz Curtis Higgs compares God to a farmer who picks us, transforms us, and puts his light in our hearts to shine to the world. I do highly recommend buying the book. However, this simple illustration can be shown in simply carving pumpkins, and intentional conversation.

God Chose Us

“just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him In love.”

-Ephesians 1:4

God chooses us, just like when we go to the store or patch and choose our pumpkins. God hand picks us for his purposes.

He Removes Our Sins

“as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.”
-Psalm 103:12

We cut open our pumpkins, remove all the yucky pulp, and throw it away, never to be thought of again. In the same way God removes our sins so far from us that they don’t matter any more.

He Transforms Us

“Therefore if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation. The old has gone, the new has come. ”

-2 Corinthians 5:17

We draw faces onto our pumpkins so they can smile and see the world. In the same way, Jesus transforms us, giving us joy and life.

He Puts His Light Inside of Us

“Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”

-Matthew 5:16

Just like a jack-o-lantern shining its light for the world to see, we can shine the light God puts in our hearts by loving others.

Have you shared the pumpkin Gospel with your family?

You can read the verses as you go, just paraphrase for smaller children, or read all the verses at the end. Let me know how it goes!