Out In the Open

It is human nature to cover up, hide, or refuse to acknowledge when we have messed up or even sinned. It seems that we think that if we ignore a problem, it will go away. The truth is, this has never worked and never will. In Genesis 3, Adam and Eve sin by eating of the one tree God asked them to leave alone (v. 6). At the moment they eat of the tree, “their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness” (v. 7). The next phrase is an interesting one, “so they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves” (v. 7). In typical human fashion, they tried to cover up what they had done.

Just a few verses later we discover how ineffective their efforts at covering their wrong actually were. We are told that God was walking in the garden in the cool of the evening. Adam and Eve heard God and they, “hid from God among the trees” (v. 8). When God asks why they hid, Adam replies, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked” (v. 10). What an interesting confession. They were afraid because they were naked, yet we were just told they had sown leaves together to cover themselves.

The truth is, we can never effectively cover our sin or its consequences. Our best bet is to confess what we have done wrong, come to God, and allow Him to work on our behalf. Once Adam and Eve’s sin is exposed before the Lord, they were able to accept the consequences of their sin and “God made clothing from animal skins for Adam and his wife” (v. 21). God was able to effectively cover what Adam and Eve had done. On their own, they would have stood exposed for all eternity.

It is easy for us to read the story of Adam and Eve and mock them for their foolishness. However, how often are we guilty of the same. We sin, we deny it, and then we try to cover it. This will be no more effective than it was for Adam and Eve. If you a dealing with something in your life, may I encourage you to come out in the open and let God cover you. The truth is, He and He alone can do this effectively.

Finding God in the Weeds

Where do we turn when it seems all hope is lost? What do we do when we have exhausted all options and still there is no way? What do we do when we have come to the end of our resources? It is here, at the end of the road, that we are likely to discover the presence of God and His purposes for our lives. For whatever reason, until we come to the end of ourselves we are not ready to hear or yield to God and his purposes. However, the quicker we get to this point, the quicker we will likely see God move.

Such was the case for Moses’ mom (Exodus 2). Pharaoh had commanded that “Every son that is born to the Hebrews you shall cast into the Nile” (Exodus 1:22). Moses’ mom tried to hide Moses for a while, but after three months she could hide him no longer. As a result, she put him in a basket and floated him in the Nile. After she did this, she stepped back and watched to see what would happen. Before long, the daughter of Pharaoh came along and discovered Moses in his basket (Exodus 2:6). She and her servant decided to find one of the Hebrew women to care for this child.

What happens from here cannot be told better than the Scripture records it. “Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, ‘Shall I go and call you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?’ So the girl went and called the child’s mother. And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, ‘Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.’ So the woman took the child and nursed him.” That’s right, in a way that only God could, he preserved the life of Moses and gave his mother the opportunity to care for him in the early years – and get paid for it.

You may be facing challenging days. There may be things before you that look impossible. Do not lose heart. God is always up to something. Just give Him time to move and work. Remember, it is often at the end of ourselves that we find the beginning of God’s plan. Pray to that end. Pray that God will help you see past your own efforts to fully and truly trust Him.