Where Are You?

1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field that the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden?’ ”2 The woman answered the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden, 3but about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You must not eat of it or touch it, or you will die.’ ” 4 “You will not surely die,” the serpent told her. 5 “For God knows that in the day you eat of it, your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eyes, and that it was desirable for obtaining wisdom, she took the fruit and ate it. She also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate it. 7 And the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; so they sewed together fig leaves and made coverings for themselves. 8Then the man and his wife heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the breeze of the day, and they hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the LORD God called out to the man, “Where are you?” 10 “I heard Your voice in the garden,” he replied, “and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.” 11 “Who told you that you were naked?” asked the LORD God. “Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” 12 And the man answered, “The woman whom You gave me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” 13 Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?”. “The serpent deceived me,” she replied, “and I ate.”
Genesis 3:1-13

I. WHEN GOD ASKS “WHERE ARE YOU?”, HE ISN’T LOOKING FOR INFORMATION BUT TO ENGAGE IN RELATIONSHIP WITH US.

II. GOD WILL NEVER FORCE HIS WAY INTO THE SPACES WHERE WE HIDE, BUT HE WILL CONTINUE TO CALL OUT TO US TO DRAW US TO HIMSELF.

III. FIG LEAVES AND TEMPORAL THINGS WILL NEVER PROTECT US, OR FULFILL US IN THE WAY THAT WE HOPE THAT THEY WILL.

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
2 Corinthians 12:9

IV. JESUS IS NOW OUR COVERING, AND WE CAN COME BOLDLY TO THE THRONE OF GRACE BECAUSE WE HAVE A SAVIOR WHO EMPATHIZES WITH OUR WEAKNESSES.