Genesis 3:7–10 (NKJV) 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. 8 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. 9 Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.”
When a child does something wrong, their first instinct may be to conceal their action by lying to their parents. However, if the child knows that their parents are both disciplined and approachable, and are willing to forgive and show grace, the child will be more likely to come forward and admit to their wrongful action rather than hiding it.
Hiding can involve concealing, covering, withdrawing from view, withholding something, or keeping close or secret.
What causes us to hide from God is similar to a child hiding from their parents when they have done something wrong. There are several factors that lead to us hiding from God, but the main reason is sin. We see an example of this in the story of Adam and Eve, who hid from God after disobeying His command. As a result, fear, guilt, nakedness, shame, and disgrace crept into their hearts and minds. Not only did Adam and Eve try to cover their nakedness, but they also attempted to hide from the presence of the Lord God.
We hide from God because we don’t want our sins to be discovered and exposed. We also feel guilt and shame about standing before a holy God. When we sin against God, our first human instinct and reaction, like Adam, is to hide ourselves and our sins from God finding out.
When we hide from God, we become easily noticeable and are targeted by the enemy. Satan is happy when we hide from God because he can come in and oppress us even more. When we hide from God, we lose our spiritual covering and are left vulnerable and exposed to the enemy and their wicked plans. When the enemy sees this, they will surely take advantage of us to harm us even more and prevent us from wanting to approach the throne of grace.
Wherever we go, no matter how far, God, who sees all, will eventually find us. We can never escape God’s watchful eye. We are forever visible to God. This should encourage us to come into the light immediately, so that not only can our sins be exposed, but also dealt with by the grace of God. God’s grace will teach us to reject all forms of sin and empower us to live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age.
Have you been avoiding God recently? What’s stopping you from coming into God’s presence? Are you letting fear drive you away from God, similar to Adam? Like the prodigal son come in faith, call upon your heavenly father, confess your sins, and approach him boldly. He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). He will respond to you and welcome you with open arms.
Under the grace of Jesus, when we sin, we shouldn’t hide from God. Instead, the Bible reminds us to “come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).
Prayer & Declaration
Father, because of Jesus’ perfect sacrifice for me at the cross, I am always righteous in Your sight. Help me to always be mindful of my everlasting righteousness in Christ and to confess it in every situation I face. Because I am righteous in Christ, I am empowered by Your Spirit to overcome every challenge and reign in life! I declare I AM THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN CHRIST JESUS. (2 Corinthians 5:21). Amen.
Contributor by Wisdom Grace
