Hiding in the Closet with Adam and Eve

I was hiding in the closet behind the coats, crouching down to make myself as small as possible. I don't remember what the offense was, but I remember knowing that I deserved to be punished. I was 7 years old.

I didn't answer my father when he called my name, but I heard his footsteps getting closer and closer to my hiding place.

Oddly enough, although I was hiding from my dad who was likely to punish me, I didn't close the closet door all the way. Since we didn't use the coat closet often, a partially open door was the equivalent of a neon sign with an arrow saying, "Look here."

The truth of the matter was, I wanted to be found.

For although I was afraid of the punishment that was coming, I was also overwhelmed with guilt and shame. Even at my young age, I knew that punishment purged guilt, and that sin demanded a payment.

Adam and Eve hid in the coat closet too.

In their case, it wasn't a literal one. Genesis 3:8 says, "Then the man and the woman heard the sound of the Lord God as He was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God." Adam later told God he hid because he was afraid.

Adam and Eve had sinned too, and like my 7-year old transgression, their sin demanded a payment.

God could have left them there, clothed in their willful disobedience, naked and ashamed. He also could have waited for them to come to him in confession and repentance, but he didn't.

He went looking for them.

And when he found them, he meted out the punishment they deserved, because all sin demands an accounting. But then our holy, perfect, sinless God stooped even lower as he peered between the branches to gaze into the eyes of his rebellious children. He saw their guilt, their shame, and their nakedness. He saw their pitiful attempts to cover themselves, and he was moved with compassion.

He drew them out into his love, killed an innocent lamb for their sin, and clothed them.

My daddy did that for me when he found me huddled on the floor of that coat closet. He listened to my blubbering confession, meted out the required punishment, and then he took me in his arms and clothed me in his forgiveness. My guilt was gone, and I was clean again.

If you're hiding in guilt and shame, you don't have to listen very hard to hear your Father's footsteps. He's looking for you. He's not content to let you stay naked in sin. He wants to restore you. Even though he's the One you've sinned against, he is searching for you.

Like for Adam and Eve in the garden, he has already slain the innocent lamb.

His name was Jesus.

God our Father holds out the robe of his love to cover you with, to pay the penalty for your sin, and to clothe you in his righteousness.

He's calling for you.

Will you respond?

"But God demonstrated His own love toward us in this, that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).

If you enjoyed this post, why not subscribe? I'll send you twice-weekly 5-minute devotions to help nourish your soul. 
Because women need to connect with God in the craziness of life. 

Enter your email address and VALIDATE the Feedburner email sent to your inbox.



Delivered by FeedBurner