Genesis 3:8
“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.”
Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s instruction not to eat from the tree of good and evil (Gen 2:17). As soon as they disobeyed, they became exposed and immediately wanted to hide from God. By rejecting God’s goodness, they instead experienced nakedness, vulnerability, guilt, shame and rebellion.
When we are disobedient to God’s word, we sin against God and our sinful instinct is to run away and hide from God. When Adam and Eve sinned, God in His abundant grace returned seeking them, but they turned away and hid from God. God did not reject them but came looking for them.
Sometimes in our Christian walk, we go through a period of disobeying God because we are drawn to the things of this world, the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes and the pride of life (1 John 2:16). When we go down this path, we often end up hiding from God, and this is the last thing we should be doing. Rather than running “from Him” we need to run “to Him” for help and restoration.
God called out Adam and Eve from hiding and told them the consequences of their sin. He did not stop there but went on to make provision for their sin (Genesis 3:15) and the covering of their nakedness. Genesis 3:21 says “And the LORD God made for Adam and his wife garments of skins and clothed them.”
Likewise, friends if you are hiding from the Lord, you need to return to Him. He has come and made way for you to be healed from your sin and to cover you with His righteousness. Come to His presence and set your heart and mind on Jesus. Just like God covered the nakedness of Adam and Eve, you need to clothe yourself with Jesus Christ so that He may lead you. Romans 13:14 says ” But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.”
You see, at the return of our Lord Jesus Christ, we do not want to be counted among those who run and hide from His presence. Isaiah 2:19 says “And the people shall enter the caves of the rocks and the holes of the ground, from before the terror of the LORD, and from the splendour of his majesty, when he rises to terrify the earth.”
Instead, we want to be among those who are waiting for His coming and rejoicing in His presence. Titus 2:11-14 says “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.”
So, I encourage you this morning to no longer hide from God, instead run to Him. Seek forgiveness, clothe yourself with Christ, and allow His Holy Spirit to sanctify you and lead you. And finally, instead of hiding, look forward to the wait expectantly for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen!
God bless.
