Questions with Strange Answers, Genesis 3:10

Genesis 3:10 So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked, and I hid myself.”

God is the Seeker, the One who goes after us. The whole of Scripture makes it clear that it was He who chose us (Ephesians 1:4), just as it was the Lord who chose Israel. Even from the beginning, directly after the first sin, it is God who comes to us. It is we who run from Him until we are found by Him.

And being found is being honest enough to answer that question. Adam wasn’t. Can we be? When God asks, “Where are you?” can you honestly tell Him? Can you say, “I’m right here, Lord.” When the Lord seeks you, can you present yourself front and center, with an open heart and a readiness to hear, receive or obey?

Adam answered the way he did because he was deeply convicted of his sin, but couldn’t face it. So he wasn’t really answering the question—he was deflecting the discussion away from the question’s implications. We do the same thing sometimes. The way we often handle this question from God is to rephrase it as something else. “Oh, God is trying to get a hold of me in this area.” “Oh, the Lord is trying to teach me something.”

These things are always true, but they are not always to the point. Teachings we can keep at a distance. An honest “Here I am, Lord” sometimes provokes in us the same cry as Adam: “I was afraid because I was naked.” Being in sin and being at a distance from God makes us painfully aware of our vulnerability and our uncovered state, and we often react strongly to that.

Let’s settle it in our hearts now that we can’t cover ourselves and make things right without the blood of Jesus. And we can’t have that forgiveness without turning to Him and looking at Him—and letting Him look directly at us.

The next time you feel that spiritual nudge from the Lord, listen more closely. Is He asking you where you are? It may be. If so, answer Him honestly. Your answer might not be what you might want to be able to answer, but an honest answer is always the best one. Maybe your answer is “Right here, Lord, in the middle of a mess I made.” Or “Right here, Lord, filled with bitterness and anger, mostly at You.” Or “Over here, Lord, on the side of the road, not really doing anything or going anywhere.” Since He already knows where we are, as He did when He asked Adam, answering honestly is the beginning of connection. And that’s the beginning of forgiveness and healing.

Where are you today?

Prayer: Lord, I confess that I deflect sometimes when you’re beginning to speak with me. Forgive me for that. Help me to simply receive what you’re saying to me, and thank you that because of your love and the blood of Jesus, I can be direct and honest with You.