Genesis 3:9 God called to the Man: “Where are you?” 

I’m planted on the couch, cranky as a bear with a sore head. I feel terrible: deeply tired, thoroughly miserable, and upset. Mostly, with myself. My wife had something to say and asked if I had done this and that. With a straight face, I said no, even though I knew the answer should have been yes.  

To act so contrary to my true self instantly made me wonder what had possessed me to do it. I tried blaming it on fatigue or disappointment, but I realised that I was the only one to blame. Sometimes we just choose the easiest route, and then it backfires. 

That night, I lay awake; my thoughts were racing. Confess your sins! I didn’t want to, because I knew that would make the sparks fly. I tried to reason with myself: Keep quiet. Keep the peace. But it was precisely this discontent that drove me to confess. 

It is God in me, His Holy Spirit, who does not leave me alone. It is He who shows up now and then and asks: “Hi, where are you?” And it is not intended as a punishment. It’s not to give us a hard time because we’ve taken another wrong turn. 

No, it is because God cares. Because He loves us. Because He hurts just as much as we do when we suffer because of the things we do. For this reason, He seeks to restore us to the right path and guide our steps back into peace. 

When God shows up precisely at times when we want to hide and not talk to anyone, it is not to judge, but to show that He cares. That is the natural outpouring of a God who dwells in intimate relationship with us. 

God’s love for us is so great, His desire for a relationship with us so strong, that He sent His Son to hang on a wooden cross, so that we would not have to pay the price for our own actions. 

Sometimes we want to run away from our actions and even from ourselves. But it is God who keeps running after us, asking softly: “Where are you?” He truly cares, and He loves us deeply. He wants to bring peace, and He will help us get back on the right path. 

Prayer
Thank you, Father, for persevering with us, remaining by our side, and always returning to seek us out. Thank you for the forgiveness that You offer every time. Help us to live in such a way that we always want to be in Your presence … 

Questions
Is there something you have done that you are ashamed of?
How can you lay it before God?
How should you start living differently now? 

Do This Now
Sit still for five minutes and honestly ask yourself, “Where do I really stand with God?” Write down what begins to stir in your heart.
Honestly confess one thing you may have been trying to hide for too long. Say it out loud to God or write it down as a prayer.
Make peace with someone you know where something has come between the two of you. Send that person a message or call them today.