Suggested Reading: Genesis 1:26-28, 3; Psalm 118:17, Psalm 139, Isaiah 61:3, John 10:10
Genesis 3, gives the account of God walking through the garden, seeking Adam’s whereabouts. Since God is all knowing, I submit that He knew where Adam and Eve were, but He asked the question to see if Adam knew (understood) where he was (his condition) and how his actions moved him out of a place (his position) of intimacy with God into sin. Where are you today?
There are always issues associated with living. Throughout life, we will encounter temptations, struggles, and challenges that will knock us to our knees. Sometimes life’s challenges, will cause us to take a road often traveled by the world and we find ourselves engaging in sinful behavior. Sinful behavior, does what it is designed to do as pollution sets in, focus is lost, and intimacy with our Heavenly Father is compromised, as we seek to hide, as Adam and Eve did. God created us to be transparent with Him so He could meet our needs and so that our intimacy with Him will be unbroken. In an effort at self help and undercover recovery, we hide in the destructive safety of our self-made fortresses. In our hiding we become impotent in our intimacy with God and in serving Him and others.
One of the many purposes of deliverance and inner healing is to allow Holy Spirit to reveal areas in our lives where we are impotent and where we have given the enemy access. Sometimes, feeling crushed by life’s challenges and blinded by religion, we believe the lie of the enemy and take Adam and Eve’s approach. We blame others or allow shock and or shame to overtake us causing us to go into hiding versus confronting the sin or the issues. When the eyes of Adam and Eve understanding were opened, they knew they had sinned and therefore went into hiding.
During the next few months, we will be looking at hiding and how this effects our relationship with our Heavenly Father and distorts who we are, our purpose, and destiny. So, take a moment right now and ask Holy Spirit to confront you with truth and to show you if you are in hiding, in what area(s) in your life you are hiding, why you are hiding, and how you are hiding.
Reflection and Prayer: Father, in the Name of Jesus, life has been painful and difficult at times. I confess that I have been hiding and I ask you to forgive me. You know everything about me and You know where I am (Psalm 139). I need for You to help me to come out of hiding and to face truth, as I choose to live today (Psalm 118:17). As I confront the issues in my life that have caused me to decide to hide, I need for You to be my safe place, my refuge, and my strength. I am choosing today to embrace You and the abundant life that Jesus gave me (John 10:10). Thank you for giving me beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that I may be called a tree of righteous (Isaiah 61). In Jesus’ Name. Amen.