Where are You?
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 in the garden. But the LORD God called to the man, “Where are you?” - Gen. 3:8-9
Imagine a relationship so intimate that you can recognize the sound of the other person’s footsteps. That was the reality for Adam and Eve as they met with God in the cool of the day.
This time wasn’t out of obligation, a ritual, or a task to check off a to-do list. It was God’s perfect plan to walk and talk with us everyday. This key part of our relationship with Him was as necessary for our soul as food is for our body. It still is!
Yet, the moment sin entered their hearts, those comforting footsteps became terrifying. Shame completely distorts our view of a loving Heavenly Father. It convinces us that our sin and brokenness makes us unwelcome in His presence, so just like Adam and Eve, we hide.
Today, we no longer hide from God behind trees. Instead, we hide behind our screens, our packed calendars, and our endless lists. We bury ourselves in busyness to avoid the quiet, because in the quiet is exactly where we recognize the sound of the LORD God walking. It is in the coolness of the day that our soul hears the Father’s voice gently asking the deeper questions.
When God calls out, “Where are you?” He is pursuing more than just where we physically are. He is pursuing our whole being.
“Where is your heart?”
God is asking who or what is currently holding our affection. When our heart attaches to something other than Him, we begin to drift. Are we seeking comfort in scrolling, shopping, or food rather than in the God of all comfort
“Where are your thoughts?”
Our minds can be physically present at church or in a chair with an open Bible, while our thoughts are racing a million miles an hour troubleshooting problems, managing schedules, or consumed by anxiety. This question invites us to bring our distracted minds back to the present moment with Him.
“Where is your trust?”
Sometimes we hide because we are trying to control everything ourselves. When God asks where we are, He might be exposing the fact that we’ve stepped out of the posture of surrender and into the deceipt of self-reliance.
Even in our hiding, the Father is still walking toward us. He is pursuing our heart, whispering, “Where are you, my daughter? I miss you.”
If you have felt the slow drift of a quiet time that has gone cold, or if you’ve been hiding behind the modern bushes of busyness, remember that shame tells us to hide until we get our act together, but grace is the Father walking towards us, asking where we are so He can restore us.
I want to challenge you to step out from behind the screens, the schedules, and the distractions and find your own cool of the day, even if it’s just a few minutes of quiet and answer God when He calls.
Where are you?
