God seeks us out but some people try to hide
In the book of Genesis 3:8-11, the Bible reads, “They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Then the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, ‘Where are you?’ He said, ‘I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.’ And the Lord God said to him, ‘Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?’”
As I thought about these verses it was apparent that not much has changed with mankind over the years. Many of us are still hiding and running from God, out of fear, out of hurt and disappointment, and out of rebellion as well. And God is still in pursuit of His creation, calling out to us saying, “Where are you?”
A good example is that of a child who has done something they know is wrong or without their parent’s permission. Most children will try to hide themselves or their actions because they know the difference between right and wrong. They become afraid of the consequences or the reactions of their parents. That fear of consequences follows us into our adult life as we continue to make decisions.
For some reason, our tendency is to run and try to hide from the Lord rather than confess and be restored. The Bible reads, “For all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God.” For this very reason, Christ came to this earth to redeem you and me from the wages of sin and death. He came and paid the price so we could have eternal life in him. No one is perfect, and no one does it right all the time. God knew that then, and he knows it now. Not only does he know what we do, but “why” we do what we do.
As our creator, he understands each one of us completely. The disobedience found in the garden did not catch the Lord by surprise, or off guard; he already had a way prepared for you and me beforehand and that way is through the Lord Jesus Christ.
Some of us are running from God because we are not walking where his perfect will is for our lives. There may be personal struggles with situations in our lives that cause us to feel unworthy, and may even hinder us from our prayer time; this too can cause us to hide from God.
The good news is the Lord God is looking for us, regardless of how we feel or what we have done. He is calling out to us today saying, “Where are you?” How interesting is that. He already knows where we are, but wants us to respond to him and personally recognize where we are spiritually.
Our hearts must be open to a time of reflecting and searching our own souls, knowing our own spiritual condition and be willing to answer God’s call. Perhaps it has been a while since we have prayed or talked to the Lord. The busyness of our days can be a distraction from our prayer time. Each person may experience dryness of spirit at one time or another. Long trials and tests can have that effect on our spiritual life. Maybe we are struggling and feeling like there is no use in praying because we feel God isn’t answering our prayers; otherwise, things would change.
In this day of uncertainty, one thing is certain: Jesus loves you and is calling out to you, “Child, come home.” God created us to be relational, and seeks that relationship with us. It is imperative for us to walk closely with the Lord in the days that lie ahead. He is the only one who will never leave us or forsake us during trying times, regardless of the condition of our hearts. Scripture says, “even if our own hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts and knows all things.”
The wa y is prepared for you and me and is found in the Lord Jesus Christ. It is that truth that can set our souls free from the fear of punishment. The Bible declares that one day we will all stand before God to give an account of our lives. Those who make the choice to stop hiding from him and acknowledge him as Lord will have no fear. We are forgiven and our sins are remembered no more, because of his eternal sacrifice.
Answer his call today. Make this your prayer, “Lord, I’m coming home.” With open and loving arms his answer will be, “Welcome back!”
XPatty Scahill of Austintown, who is a conference speaker, author and hospice chaplain, attends Christian Life Church in Canfield.