Where Are You?
Genesis 3:8-9
8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. 9 And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?
Have you wondered why you were born? Do you wonder what your purpose is? Or perhaps you think your purpose has been to give an eccentric God amusement as He watches you struggle in your day-to-day life.
The verse I’ve quoted is from a very familiar story and if you’re like me, sometimes we read the stories in the Bible and see them as we would a painting or a photograph. We only see them in one dimension. Now, I’d like to take you with me into this story and put flesh on it.
We are in the Garden of Eden. God has created the earth and all its beauty but then He does something more…. He plants a beautiful Garden specifically for His highest creation, Adam.
Now, it was not just a place for Adam to live. When God planted the Garden, He put some things in it that were reminiscent of His heavenly Home. The tree of life and a river. (These were in heaven already and you’ll see that if you’ll read Revelation 22:2). When God planted the Garden, He planted it as a sanctuary for Him to meet with Adam.
Can you see the awesomeness of this? The God of the universe wanted to meet with His creation and He did so every day after He put Adam and Eve in the Garden. See the first phrase in verse 8? They heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden…. This was not a one time event. God didn’t come specifically to the Garden on this particular day so He could catch Adam out. It was His custom…. It was His desire to be with His Creation. Now, God put two trees in the Garden. One would give life and one would deliver death! God only commanded Adam not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, because if and when he did, he would surely die. Adam had a choice. The choice visible to him (because as humans we need the visible to relate to the spiritual) was to eat or not eat of one tree. The spiritual choice this pictured was between the God of all life and the death that disobedience causes.
God had such a desire to be with His creation that He created a special place to meet with him. However, God didn’t want a being that loved Him because he had no choice or because of duty. He wanted His creation to choose Him. He wanted His creation to choose to walk daily with Him. God did not force Adam and Eve to meet with Him every day, He simply made Himself available for that walk. When they chose that walk, their lives were more blessed than they knew.
However, as you and I know, they made a bad choice. They chose to disobey His one command. Hear the heart of God as it breaks! The one creation who has the ability to choose God over everything and everyone else, didn’t! So, when God comes to walk in the Garden in the cool of the day and Adam and Eve heard His voice, they hid. Not because they were naked as they gave the excuse, but because they knew somehow they were no longer worthy to be in the presence of their Holy God. God asks, “Adam, where are you?”
Now, did God not know where Adam was? Of course, He did. So why did He ask? Because God always asks questions to bring to light the things we wish to hide…. i.e., our sin of disobedience. Was God shocked at Adams choice? Was the fact that God would now have to bring a substitute sacrifice on the scene a surprise to Him? No, Revelation 13:8 tell us of “….the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Though God had made a place for His creation to dwell with Him, He knew He would need to make a provision for a way back to Him and had already made that provision through “the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world!” John 1:29.
God made a covering for Adam and Eve because try as they might make their own, it would never be good enough, then He put them out of His sanctuary.
When God came walking in the Garden that day, He was pursuing Adam and Eve. He knew where they were, but they hadn’t yet realized what exactly they had lost. They lost His Spirit that He had put in them when He created them. Though God put them out of the Garden, He continues to pursue people to meet with. He pursued Enoch, who walked with God. He pursued Noah, who built the ark. He pursued Abraham, through whom all people are blessed. He pursued Isaac, Moses, Rahab, Ruth, David, Jonah, Mary, Peter, Paul… just to name a few and beloved, today, He's pursuing YOU!
So, let me ask you... Where are you? Are you a blood washed, born-again believer who has strayed for God’s design for you? Have you lusted after things of the world thinking the Christian life is too hard to live? Are you trying to hide from God, thinking foolishly that you can? Perhaps you have not lusted after the things of this world, but perhaps you believe God has not provided adequately for you. Maybe it’s not you that’s strayed, but a loved one… a parent, a child, a dear friend, a beloved mentor in the faith and your heart aches and you wonder “why, God?”
Can I tell you something, God is pursuing you! He desires to dwell with you! He wants your fellowship and companionship… yet He cannot do that if you insist on trying to hiding your sin. Your sin separates you from Him.
Perhaps you are enjoying daily walks with God but someone you know is breaking your heart. They are walking apart from God, trying to hide their sin, and yet can I tell you something? God is pursuing those in your life who seem to be walking away from Him. John 6:44, No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.” Keep praying that the Father will draw them to Jesus…Pray that they will stand still and allow Him to catch them. Only then will they know true joy and contentment.
Perhaps you do not even know the God who created you. God loves you and has a made a way back to Him through His Son Jesus Christ.…Won't you come today?
Beloved, He loves you and He loves those you love. He is pursuing you and them! The God of the universe is not a capricious God, one who toys with His creation. He desires to walk with you… come, hear His voice in the Garden acknowledge whatever sin is keeping you in hiding and join Him for a walk. Allow Him to draw you to Him and then bow in awe of your Creator!
Molly Winter
Col. 1:9-10
My Comments: Another devotional that speaks to that love of Christ for us that He is pursuing us, searching for us, meeting us like the Father of the prodigal son who joyously ran to greet the son on his return. How can God love me so much, when I have failed Him so greatly?
Genesis 3:8-9
8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. 9 And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?
Have you wondered why you were born? Do you wonder what your purpose is? Or perhaps you think your purpose has been to give an eccentric God amusement as He watches you struggle in your day-to-day life.
The verse I’ve quoted is from a very familiar story and if you’re like me, sometimes we read the stories in the Bible and see them as we would a painting or a photograph. We only see them in one dimension. Now, I’d like to take you with me into this story and put flesh on it.
We are in the Garden of Eden. God has created the earth and all its beauty but then He does something more…. He plants a beautiful Garden specifically for His highest creation, Adam.
Now, it was not just a place for Adam to live. When God planted the Garden, He put some things in it that were reminiscent of His heavenly Home. The tree of life and a river. (These were in heaven already and you’ll see that if you’ll read Revelation 22:2). When God planted the Garden, He planted it as a sanctuary for Him to meet with Adam.
Can you see the awesomeness of this? The God of the universe wanted to meet with His creation and He did so every day after He put Adam and Eve in the Garden. See the first phrase in verse 8? They heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden…. This was not a one time event. God didn’t come specifically to the Garden on this particular day so He could catch Adam out. It was His custom…. It was His desire to be with His Creation. Now, God put two trees in the Garden. One would give life and one would deliver death! God only commanded Adam not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, because if and when he did, he would surely die. Adam had a choice. The choice visible to him (because as humans we need the visible to relate to the spiritual) was to eat or not eat of one tree. The spiritual choice this pictured was between the God of all life and the death that disobedience causes.
God had such a desire to be with His creation that He created a special place to meet with him. However, God didn’t want a being that loved Him because he had no choice or because of duty. He wanted His creation to choose Him. He wanted His creation to choose to walk daily with Him. God did not force Adam and Eve to meet with Him every day, He simply made Himself available for that walk. When they chose that walk, their lives were more blessed than they knew.
However, as you and I know, they made a bad choice. They chose to disobey His one command. Hear the heart of God as it breaks! The one creation who has the ability to choose God over everything and everyone else, didn’t! So, when God comes to walk in the Garden in the cool of the day and Adam and Eve heard His voice, they hid. Not because they were naked as they gave the excuse, but because they knew somehow they were no longer worthy to be in the presence of their Holy God. God asks, “Adam, where are you?”
Now, did God not know where Adam was? Of course, He did. So why did He ask? Because God always asks questions to bring to light the things we wish to hide…. i.e., our sin of disobedience. Was God shocked at Adams choice? Was the fact that God would now have to bring a substitute sacrifice on the scene a surprise to Him? No, Revelation 13:8 tell us of “….the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Though God had made a place for His creation to dwell with Him, He knew He would need to make a provision for a way back to Him and had already made that provision through “the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world!” John 1:29.
God made a covering for Adam and Eve because try as they might make their own, it would never be good enough, then He put them out of His sanctuary.
When God came walking in the Garden that day, He was pursuing Adam and Eve. He knew where they were, but they hadn’t yet realized what exactly they had lost. They lost His Spirit that He had put in them when He created them. Though God put them out of the Garden, He continues to pursue people to meet with. He pursued Enoch, who walked with God. He pursued Noah, who built the ark. He pursued Abraham, through whom all people are blessed. He pursued Isaac, Moses, Rahab, Ruth, David, Jonah, Mary, Peter, Paul… just to name a few and beloved, today, He's pursuing YOU!
So, let me ask you... Where are you? Are you a blood washed, born-again believer who has strayed for God’s design for you? Have you lusted after things of the world thinking the Christian life is too hard to live? Are you trying to hide from God, thinking foolishly that you can? Perhaps you have not lusted after the things of this world, but perhaps you believe God has not provided adequately for you. Maybe it’s not you that’s strayed, but a loved one… a parent, a child, a dear friend, a beloved mentor in the faith and your heart aches and you wonder “why, God?”
Can I tell you something, God is pursuing you! He desires to dwell with you! He wants your fellowship and companionship… yet He cannot do that if you insist on trying to hiding your sin. Your sin separates you from Him.
Perhaps you are enjoying daily walks with God but someone you know is breaking your heart. They are walking apart from God, trying to hide their sin, and yet can I tell you something? God is pursuing those in your life who seem to be walking away from Him. John 6:44, No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.” Keep praying that the Father will draw them to Jesus…Pray that they will stand still and allow Him to catch them. Only then will they know true joy and contentment.
Perhaps you do not even know the God who created you. God loves you and has a made a way back to Him through His Son Jesus Christ.…Won't you come today?
Beloved, He loves you and He loves those you love. He is pursuing you and them! The God of the universe is not a capricious God, one who toys with His creation. He desires to walk with you… come, hear His voice in the Garden acknowledge whatever sin is keeping you in hiding and join Him for a walk. Allow Him to draw you to Him and then bow in awe of your Creator!
Molly Winter
Col. 1:9-10
My Comments: Another devotional that speaks to that love of Christ for us that He is pursuing us, searching for us, meeting us like the Father of the prodigal son who joyously ran to greet the son on his return. How can God love me so much, when I have failed Him so greatly?
No comments:
Post a Comment