I Was Afraid
Scripture Reading — Genesis 3:1-13
He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”
Picture the scenario. A child does something that they know they aren’t supposed to do. Maybe they broke something they weren’t supposed to play with. They knew they were going to be in trouble when a parent found out, so they hid in a closet, or in their backyard, or maybe even in a tree fort, hoping to escape the consequences of their actions.
Adam and Eve sinned against God. They knew that he had told them not to eat from one of the trees in the garden. But they gave in to temptation and ate the fruit of that tree anyway. Like children afraid of a parent, Adam and Eve hid from God, hoping to escape the consequences of their actions. Adam and Eve were afraid of what God might say or do to them because of their disobedience.
While there certainly were consequences for their sin—consequences that we still experience today—there was also forgiveness and grace. God continued to care for them. He didn’t just leave them to themselves. In fact, from the moment of their sin God began to shape history toward reconciling Adam and Eve and all of their children to himself.
While God hates sin, he loves us and has gone to extraordinary lengths to bring us back to him. Forgiveness and grace are God’s gifts to his people every day.
Gracious God, we sin against you all too often. But your grace and mercy abound in our lives, so we don’t need to be afraid. And for that we give thanks. Amen.
About the author — Bret Lamsma
Bret Lamsma is director of faith formation at a church in Denver, Colorado, and has served churches in Michigan and California in youth, inter-generational, and educational ministries. Bret and his wife, Julie, have two children, and he enjoys hiking, camping, and visiting national parks with his family.
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