8 And 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. 9 But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”
— Genesis 3:8-9 (ESV)
Immediately prior to these two verses Adam and Eve had defied God by eating of the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. While God’s creation is about to discover that their sins will indeed find them out, this scripture also reveals a lot about the Creator’s desired relationship with mankind.
Since he first breathed life into Adam, God has sought a deep closeness with humanity. Seeking to capitalize on our personal failures, and disappointment in ourselves, the enemy tries to convince us to withdraw from God, or in essence hide from Him — which is both spiritually foolish and impossible.
Instead of shrinking away from God we must accept His amazing grace and push forward toward a deeper relationship with Him. Whether or not we deserve such a personal relationship with God is not the issue; it’s about HIM wanting it and our deep desire for it.
Don’t run from God during times of personal and spiritual failure. Instead run toward Him. Seek His face, instead of hiding from it.
If something is telling you that you are not worthy of forgiveness, you can be certain it’s not the voice of God. Stop allowing your failures to push you away from God, instead lay those mistakes at the altar and move toward Him with a boldness that can only come through the power of the Holy Spirit.
When God comes calling, no matter your current situation, your responsibility is simply to answer “here I am Lord!”
Our availability is pleasing to God. Don’t make him search for you, instead present yourself to Him each morning and maintain that posture throughout the day. Hiding from God is fruitless, while running toward Him is fruitful.
Austin Bishop is an ordained Assemblies of God minister. Those wishing to receive his daily devotional/Bible study notes may sign up by texting 601-938-2471 and asking to be added to either the morning or afternoon list.
