Satan had lied to Eve. He told her that if she simply took one bite of forbidden fruit that she and Adam could be like God, and God didn’t want any competition.The implication was that God wanted to keep them under his thumb.

But instead of becoming like God, something very different happened. They realized they were naked, and the immediate reaction was not glory, pride, or some new revelation. It was shame. So what did they do? They did what we all do when we feel shame. They ran and hid. But playing Hide and Seek with God is always a losing game.

God, knowing full well what had happened, came into the garden, and his first words were, “Adam, where are you?” I’m stunned by this reaction. God could have exploded onto the scene, ready to throw lightning bolts, or worse yet, wipe the slate clean and started over.

Instead, he reacts with a question. “Adam, where are you?” Oh, He knew exactly where they were and what they had done. But when we examine this reaction, it takes us deep into the heart of God. Instead of rage and destructive authority, God did something stunning. He invited Adam and Eve back into His presence. That’s what he really wanted.

You see, the bite of forbidden fruit didn’t just open the eyes of humanity to the reality of good and evil. It broke the perfect fellowship with God that Adam and Eve had prior to their disobedience. God was showing them, and us too, that what He wanted, and still does to this day, is fellowship with the creation He loves dearly–the ones created in his image.

Sin breaks fellowship with God, but God keeps making a way to restore that fellowship until the day we stand in His presence in a perfect relationship restored for all eternity. In the meantime, we still have times when we play hide and seek with God. Secret sins, bad habits, hateful thoughts, etc. create a barrier between us and fellowship with God.

But God, in His grace and mercy keeps saying to us, “Where are you?” Let those words echo through your soul. If you feel shame, or distance from God, know that He has not moved from you. But you may be trying to hide from Him. When you hear him invite you back into His presence, come out from your hiding place, take His hand and be free