Where are You?

We started a nightly advent devotional Sunday evening. I’ll admit I was a bit skeptical when we started… not about the idea of a family devotional (trying as it can be with three kiddos), but about the devotional content itself.

I didn’t know what to expect. I was a little uncertain how it would go over.

After three nights, I can proudly say that my wife did an AWESOME job picking it out and planning it.

Tonight, we read through Genesis 3. The fall of man. And something interesting was pointed out in the devotion, something I’d never really considered for some odd reason.

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”

I’ve read this passage more times than I remember, and I’ve always been struck with the absurdity of it all.

Adam and Eve sinned. They clothe themselves after realizing they’re naked, and then they hide.

From God.

They HIDE from God. As if He won’t know where to find them. Or what they’ve done. Or anything.

I mean… He’s GOD.

But yet, the absurdity continues.

Verse 9: But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”

Yep. God. Asking where the man is at.

Like He doesn’t know.

C’mon.

But think about it. The devotion points out something I’d never considered… maybe something you haven’t either.

Man sinned. And GOD Himself comes to where they are.

That “Where are you?” question may seem silly, but it’s important.

God seeks us out. In our sin. In the middle of our mess.

He doesn’t yell and scream. He doesn’t beat us up. He doesn’t condemn.

He seeks us out, enters into our lives, and comes right alongside us. In our sin-filled, disgusting lives.

To rescue us.

To give us life.

To give us HOPE.

This is the essential message of Christmas.

Emmanuel.

God with us.

God put on flesh. Dwells among us. And rescues us, right smack dab in the middle of our broken, messed up world.

His love is THAT awesome.

So, a simple “Thank you, God” is in order. Or maybe even a great big elaborate one.