First Actions. First Questions.

First Actions. First Questions.

Genesis 3: ⁸ And they heard the sound 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 among the trees of the garden.

⁹ Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?”

¹⁰ So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.”

¹¹ And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?”

¹² Then the man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.”

¹³ And the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?”

The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

 

============

 

Now the man and woman were spiritually awake, but in a bad way. They knew they had made a huge mistake and the first thing they did was hide. I feel like doing that too when I made mistakes. They hid their nakedness and then they thought they could hide from GOD.

 

My Observations:

• GOD is all knowing, all seeing and is everywhere.
• GOD knew where Adam was, yet HE asked a question so Adam could understand.
• GOD knew what happened, yet HE asked the woman a question, maybe to take responsibility.

 

Personally, I believe this was JESUS in the garden. HE knew HIS creation had fallen and knew HE was the answer for the huge problem Adam and Eve had caused. The first actions from Adam and Eve seemed so futile. Innocent people trying to develop a coverup with no plan, led to hiding from the one who could solve the problem.

 

Instead of asking for help, the first blame came out. “It was YOUR fault for giving me the woman who gave me the fruit from YOUR tree” it could read. Or “The devil made me do it.” BUT GOD handled it graciously. HE never accused them of doing wrong because they knew and so did HE. JESUS knew what HE had to do. HE had to die and be raised from the dead to repair the fall.

 

Challenge

• Why does GOD tell Moses this conversation?
• Have you ever messed up and tried to cover it up?
• Have you tried owning up to what you did wrong by uncovering “that” secret so GOD can heal you?

Come out of the Cave

Psalm 142: ⁶ Listen to my cry,
    for I am in desperate need;
rescue me from those who pursue me,
    for they are too strong for me.
⁷ Set me free from my prison,
    that I may praise your name.
Then the righteous will gather about me
    because of your goodness to me.

============

“Woe is me” I thought to myself as my teacher handed me my graded paper. I did not like the teacher or the subject. I left his class and got dressed for practice. Since I wasn’t as fast the team sped off and I was left trailing in their dust. When I got back I walked down the hallway alone and a football player punched me in the chest so hard that I literally saw stars. “Doesn’t anyone like me?” I thought that day.

• Some days I just want to crawl back into bed.
• Some days I just want to hide from everyone.
• Some days I just want to go inside of a cave and make it my refuge.

David was being pursued by murderers. He ran inside of a cave system and hid from his trackers. I know the feeling. I sometimes have those days where it seems like everyone is against me. BUT GOD says different.

• GOD says to me “Ask and I will hear you.”
• GOD says to me “Try ME. Cry out to ME and I will answer.”
• GOD says to me “I love you and I AM with you always.”

When people have stepped far away from me and things just feel like they are going wrong, GOD stands firmly by my side. HE takes on more of my pain than I can ever know. HE absorbs the sting and helps me grow. GOD makes life livable and brings me out of my cave.

• Are you embarrassed?
• Are you hiding from friends and family?
• Can you stop feeling sorry for yourself and come out of your hiding place?
• Will you break the cycle of only communicating when things are “fine?”
• Will you cry out to GOD today for help?

Hiding in a Safe Place

Psalm 62: ⁵ Yes, my soul, find rest in God;
    my hope comes from him.
⁶ Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
    he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
⁷ My salvation and my honor depend on God;
    he is my mighty rock, my refuge.
⁸ Trust in him at all times, you people;
    pour out your hearts to him,
    for God is our refuge.

============

Pea green was the color I remember as a child. The first time I watch the clouds go from very dark charcoal grey to a greenish color stayed in my mind. The clouds began to swirl and I stood on the porch and watched as a small tornado began to form. It never touched down but I was fascinated. I saw the sky change again as a teen, then again in early adulthood. The last time I saw the clouds look like that was when I had to tell my family to go in the basement because the twister was definitely on its way.

• There are times in my life where I have had to run for cover.
• There are times in my life that seem like the situation is too powerful for me.
• There are times in my life that seem so overwhelming that all I can do is run and hide.

From childhood I was taught to go hide in a basement or the lowest place I could find when a tornado approached. This form of weather is so wild and extreme and out of control that all I can do is hide, same with life sometimes. Life has a way to seem so wild and out of control that it can feel like a tornado of missed expectations from all sides. Where can I hide when life gets out of control?

• GOD says to me “Come unto ME all of you that are heavy laden and I will give you rest.”
• GOD says to me “Look to ME and I will give you renewed hope and peace.”
• GOD says to me “I AM the only fortress, every other shelter will be shaken.”

Reliance on houses, cash, insurance or ability is what causes me to be shaken. When I rely on stuff that could be broken or run out then I feel scared. BUT GOD is never exhausted, never scared, always willing to love me in spite of me. HE knows I forget about HIM when times are good and welcomes me when I run to HIM when I am scared. HE is the best hiding place in the middle of a storm and I can say “thank YOU for whatever the outcome as long as I am with YOU.”

• Are you frightened?
• Do you feel a storm around you?
• Can you relax your thoughts and stop focusing on the problem and focus on GOD’s greatness?
• Will you stop believing the lie that GOD is not doing anything in your life and believe that GOD is blessing you daily?