Three of the Most Hopeful Words in the Bible

"Where are you?" I think these three words offer some of the most hopeful of all the words in the Bible. The larger context of that question may help you see why I have drawn that conclusion:

Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?"

2 The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.' "

4 "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. 5 "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."

6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

8 Then the man and his wife 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 among the trees of the garden. 9 But the LORD God called to the man, "Where are you?"

Adam and Eve have just turned their backs on God. They have broken trust and intimacy by believing a lie over truth. In place of open companionship, they now hide in shame. The separation from one another and God is overpowering. They hear God call out to them. Instead of running to him they remain hidden.

What will the Father do? Will he rant and rave? Will he send down lightning? Will he simply walk away from them as though he never created them? Certainly, something like that is what Adam and Eve expected. Perhaps we expect the same. But God is not limited by our expectations. God, instead, asks, "Where are you?" In that question God shows that he is not only their Creator, but their Pursuer. God did not just give them life, he now offers to restore their lives. God asks that question not because he does not know where they are but so they can see for themselves where their sin has taken them. He offers this question to help them see that the distance they now feel from God is not because he has moved, but because they have. He asks this question to show them that even though they are hiding in shame, he wants them to be found.

Can we slow down the pace of this day long enough to hear that question for ourselves?

"Where are you?"

"Where are you?"

Hear the love in that question...hear the hope...hear the promise...Hear the voice of God initiating relationship with you.

Now, allow his question to do what questions are designed to do...they are asked to evoke a response. What is your response to God's question, "Where are you?" Does your answer surprise you? Does your answer convict you? Does your answer put you to shame? He asks that question not to condemn you, but to redeem you. Will you keep hiding or will you walk out into the open and let the one searching for you, find you?