Ready or Not

“And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.” Genesis 3:8

It’s twilight, the neighbourhood children are gathered to play a game of hide and seek.  A leader is chosen, and the countdown begins.  You hesitate for a moment and then you think of the best hiding place.  Quickly you run to it and tuck yourself in, thinking, “he/she will never find me here.  “Ninety-seven, ninety-eight, ninety-nine, one hundred.  Ready or Not, here I come.”  You check to make sure that you are well hidden, but the searcher finds you anyway.  Oh, well, it is only a game and maybe you can find a better place next time.

At twilight each evening, God came down to the Garden of Eden to walk with Adam and Eve.  No doubt it was a time they looked forward to all day long, that time of communication with God as they enjoyed the beautiful flowers and trees that He had created.

But one day, something happened.  Eve listened to the serpent, partook of the forbidden fruit, and convinced Adam to do so as well.  Everything was changed.  As the sun sank low in the sky, they looked for a place to hide before God made His nightly visit.  He knew where they were all the time, but He still called out to them.  There was no hiding from God.  He knew what they had done and exactly where they were.

Sometimes we find ourselves doing or saying things that we know are not what He would have us do or say.  We suddenly feel conviction settle down on our soul, and we know we cannot hide from the Lord.  He is everywhere, He knows all that we do or even think.  There is no peace in our heart until we seek His forgiveness. I am so thankful that we can repent and know that His blood cleanses us from all sin.  Then we can lift our voices to Him in praise and thanksgiving.is

We are not playing a game of Hide and Seek, but I believe that we are nearing the final countdown for the end of our world as we know it.  Jesus will soon say, “Ready or not, here I come.”  There is an urgency to be ready for we know not when that day will come.  I want to be ready.  How about you?

Prayer:  Jesus, I am so thankful that your Holy Spirit is working in my heart, that I can feel conviction when I do not measure up to your Word, and that I can repent and know that you have forgiven me, and that all is well.

Devotion by Anne Johnston