This morning as I was in the place that God speaks to me, often the most clearly, the shower, God started speaking to me about "the first game of hide and seek". I knew immediately where He was going with this idea as He has been having me re-read the book Captivating By John and Stasi Eldredge. Much of the book refers to Adam and Eve, the consequences of their disobedience and then the provision of God to bring healing and restoration to us, their descendants. But even more than the reading of this book, God has been leading and showing me that I have been playing my own game of hide and seek with him. Before I get ahead of myself though, let me give you the Scriptures.
Genesis 2: But for Adam[f] no suitable helper was found. 21 So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs[g] and then closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib[h] he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.
23 The man said,
“This is now bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called ‘woman,’
for she was taken out of man.”
24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.
25 Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.
The verse that stuck out to me was verse 25, Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.
But oh how the story transitions. Let's read Genesis 3.
1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”
2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”
4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the LORD God called to the man, “Where are you?”
10 He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”
11 And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”
You have heard this story before, I know that. But what the Lord was reminding me of this morning as I re-read this story with fresh eyes is that since the first game of "Hide and Seek" we have never stopped playing the game! It literally has been the "game" that NEVER ENDS! We were shame free at the start of creation and in a few verses the story drastically changed and we have been condemned by our sin, walking in our shame, turning to "fig leaves" to cover us and "hiding" from the only One who can "find" us and SAVE us! Yes, we might be "saved" from hell but living in shame and condemnation (from the sins we have already confessed and He has forgiven) is not the path we have to continue walking in.
In some FACE TIME with the Lord yesterday, He gently showed me how continuing to walk in regret and shame is to not fully embrace the work that He completed on the cross. He knows that I am a wretched sinner, unable to do anything right on my own despite my many attempts but HE DIED FOR THAT SINNER! I have "known" that but I haven't KNOWN that until yesterday.
Yesterday, the Lord "looked" for me again and this time I allowed myself to be "found". As I laid face down, tears of shame streaming down my face as I repented yet again, the Lord graciously lifted my head and showed me His love. He showed me how much He cares and has always cared and He has brought me out of HIDING! The game of Hide and Seek CAN end. All it takes is the "hidden one" to come out of "hiding" and allow themselves to be "found".
Thank you Lord for never giving up the "search" for me! You knew where I was all the time and you had your eyes on me through it all but you are so gentle and gracious in that you waited for me to respond and to bring me out of hiding! Help me to stand up against the lies of the enemy that would try to bring shame around again and to walk in the truth that there really is NO condemnation in you! Thank you for calling out my name in the garden and for pursuing me! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
