Where Are You?

Hi friends! I'm just going to jump right in today! I do pray that you are doing well and enjoying these shorter messages that I feel the Holy Spirit has been leading me to do, rather than the longer ones.

Alright, here we go!

"Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, "where are you?" So, he said, "I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself." And He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eating from the tree of which I commanded you that should not eat?"- Genesis 3:9-11

Okay, so just a really quick recap: Adam and Eve were wandering around the garden totally naked and unashamed, until that moment of disobedience which allowed sin to enter the world and change it forevermore.

"And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed."-Genesis 2:25

Adam and Eve only knew themselves through God's eyes. Their whole identity was found through the eyes of their Creator, who created them from His very image. And God deemed them "very good."

"Then God said, "Let Us make man in our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; man and female He created them."- Genesis 1:26-27

"Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day."- Genesis 1:31

Okay, so back to my point! Adam and Eve, although they were naked, God's glory clothed them. They were One with God. Then, they ate the fruit of the forbidden tree, the only tree that was forbidden in the entire garden. This disobedience they fell into separated them from God. The glory of God was stripped off of them and in that moment, they experienced shame for the first time.

So, when God says, "where are you?", He is not speaking about a physical location. There is nowhere they could hide that God couldn't find them. He is asking (Adam) about his heart. Adam was hiding himself from God because he felt the shame of his disobedience and wanted to hide that from God. Except even our hearts cannot be hidden from our Creator.

Can I tell you a secret? Things that are hidden cannot heal. Repeat that one more time.

You have to release it all...even the most embarrassing, shameful things that you'd rather "forget about". You may forget about them, but they still are inside. Planted. And you know what things that are planted do, right? They grow. Even weeds. Don't let weeds strangle the fruit bearing buds inside that just need more water, and more light. More time. They will be called forth in their appointed season, if the weeds don't kill them.

I know this may sound kind of scary at first, but when you bring your sin to the Lord, He forgives you and He actually "blots it out". He doesn't remember it once you've released it to Him. It is covered in the blood of Jesus. So, it's gone once you have handed it over to Him! He loves you! He doesn't want you hindered by mistakes. Oh goodness! This I will save for another post, because I could go on for way too long about the fullness of salvation through Jesus Christ! :)

"I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; And I will not remember your sins."- Isaiah 43:25

Friend, you were created to bear fruit, and prosper. You were made in the image of GOD Himself. I pray that you grab revelation of this in it's fullness! The Lord Himself, used His very hands and molded you meticulously, lovingly, perfectly and then breathed His breath of life right into you.

In Isaiah, it says "my people have gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge."...

So, I ask you, where are you? When you understand WHOSE you are, you will know.

I hear two simple words in my spirit right now. The Lord simply says, "Be Mine."

Be back soon!

Love & Blessings!

-Bethany Hope