The Curse of Shame
God’s questions are simple, yet remarkably convicting.
Genesis 3:8-10 (NIV)
And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?” So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, and I hid myself.”
Reflection
Before they committed mankind’s first sin, Adam and Eve enjoyed perfect fellowship with God. Always near Him, never at odds with their feelings toward Him, never unsure of His love for them. It was, quite literally, a perfect world. Nevertheless, one decision can change everything.
One sin, just one, drove an immediate wedge in Adam and Eve’s relationship with God. Previously immune to feelings of shame and fear, now they did what all of us have done at some point—they tried to hide from an omnipresent God. The curse of shame can cause even the most righteous among us to think irrationally about God’s reach.
Our adversary tries to cover us with a blanket of shame to keep us distant from our Savior. If you have ever felt as though God could not love you because you’ve sinned too much, then you know how convincing this ambiguous strategy can be. Not so with God, He will always put His finger on the specific behavior He wants us to address. Adam tried to hide his sin, so God asked him, “Where are you?” (verse 9). Cain murdered his brother, so God asked him, “Where is Abel your brother? (Genesis 4:9). Jacob lied about his identity, so God asked him, “What is your name?” (Genesis 32:27). Paul was on a mission to end Christianity, so Jesus asked him, “…why are you persecuting me?” (Acts 9:4). God’s questions are simple, yet remarkably convicting. Our answers reveal who is truly in control of our life.
Action Step
What area of your life does God have His finger on? How will you respond to His question?
Prayer
Jesus, thank You for always knowing where to find me and what to ask me to keep me in step with Your plan for my life. Amen!
And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?” So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, and I hid myself.”
Reflection
Before they committed mankind’s first sin, Adam and Eve enjoyed perfect fellowship with God. Always near Him, never at odds with their feelings toward Him, never unsure of His love for them. It was, quite literally, a perfect world. Nevertheless, one decision can change everything.
One sin, just one, drove an immediate wedge in Adam and Eve’s relationship with God. Previously immune to feelings of shame and fear, now they did what all of us have done at some point—they tried to hide from an omnipresent God. The curse of shame can cause even the most righteous among us to think irrationally about God’s reach.
Our adversary tries to cover us with a blanket of shame to keep us distant from our Savior. If you have ever felt as though God could not love you because you’ve sinned too much, then you know how convincing this ambiguous strategy can be. Not so with God, He will always put His finger on the specific behavior He wants us to address. Adam tried to hide his sin, so God asked him, “Where are you?” (verse 9). Cain murdered his brother, so God asked him, “Where is Abel your brother? (Genesis 4:9). Jacob lied about his identity, so God asked him, “What is your name?” (Genesis 32:27). Paul was on a mission to end Christianity, so Jesus asked him, “…why are you persecuting me?” (Acts 9:4). God’s questions are simple, yet remarkably convicting. Our answers reveal who is truly in control of our life.
Action Step
What area of your life does God have His finger on? How will you respond to His question?
Prayer
Jesus, thank You for always knowing where to find me and what to ask me to keep me in step with Your plan for my life. Amen!
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