Hiding From God and From One Another
Scripture Reading — Genesis 3:1-15
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. . . .
From the time of the fall into sin, people have tried to hide from God in many ways. Today many publishers and media outlets compete to attract people’s attention by making outrageous statements. Some have even said, “God is dead,” and, “God is not good,” adding to the ways of hiding from God by going on the offensive against him.
There is nothing new about such claims. Even 3,000 years ago, King David heard similar remarks and wrote, “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God’” (Psalm 14:1).
Adam and Eve hid from God because they were afraid. They knew they had disobeyed God and that evil had gained a foothold in their hearts. In their shame, they could not face the Lord as he came to meet with them. Adam tried shifting the blame to Eve. By rupturing their relationship with God, they became estranged from one another.
Some play the blame game by saying that evil in the world is God’s fault, and they refuse to believe in him. As alienation from God grows deeper, people hide from one another. They fear that if their real selves became known, no one would like them.
But God forgives. Have you asked his forgiveness today?
What insecure lives we lead, O God! Fear and anxiety isolate us. Reconcile us to yourself, as you promised Adam and Eve, through the Savior who makes forgiveness possible. In his name, Amen.
About the author — George Young
George Young, a native New Yorker, worked as a taxi driver in New York City before studying to become a pastor. Then he, his wife Ruth, and their children were missionaries for many years in northeastern Japan. They worked with ministers and believers from the Reformed Church in Japan to spread the good news of salvation in Christ and establish new churches. Now George and Ruth are retired and live in the northeastern United States, nearer to their children and grandchildren.
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