It is no accident that you are reading this today. God does not work by chance. He speaks through His Word, and just as surely as He called out to Adam in the garden, He is calling out to you right now.
Through the preaching of the gospel, the call goes out to every person reading this: God knows exactly where you are, you cannot hide from Him, and He is summoning you to stop running and come to Christ.
“WHERE ARE YOU?”
In Genesis 3, we find Adam and Eve at the lowest point in human history. They had rebelled against God by eating the forbidden fruit, and in their guilt and shame they did the most foolish thing imaginable: they hid from their Creator.
Then they heard the sound of Yahweh God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of Yahweh God in the midst of the trees of the garden. Yahweh God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” Genesis 3:8–9 (LSB)
God knew exactly where Adam was. Adam knew where Adam was. And you know where Adam was. Yet the voice of Yahweh came calling out, not because He needed information, but because Adam needed to reckon with where he stood before a holy God.
There Is No Logic to Sin
Think about how absurd it was. Adam and Eve heard God coming and ran to hide in the bushes, in God’s garden, behind God’s trees, from the God who made them. Perhaps they thought if they were quiet enough He would pass by, and they could come out and carry on. There is no logic to sin. It never has made sense, and it never will.
You may be able to run from church. You can distance yourself from family. But hide from God? The Scriptures are clear:
For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. Hebrews 4:12–13 (LSB)
Where Are You?
That question cuts deeper than geography. It is a personal reckoning and it comes at you from three directions. Consider where you are physically, where you are mentally, and most urgently of all, where you are spiritually. Each one matters. The last one is eternal.
Where are you mentally? Have you checked out...convinced yourself that you have already weighed the claims of Christ and moved on? Adam and Eve felt confident in their rebellion too, right up until the moment they heard footsteps in the garden.
But it goes even deeper than where your mind is. Consider where you are in your thinking about eternity itself.
Where are you in your thinking? Maybe your Bible sits neglected somewhere. Day after day you live life on your own terms, certain there will be time for God later. But the Scriptures are plain:
And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment. Hebrews 9:27 (LSB)
From the moment a person is born, they are moving toward death. We do not know the day or the hour. But the appointment is kept by every one of us, and after it comes judgment. There is no avoiding God.
All of that brings us to the question that towers above the rest, the one that determines everything.
Where are you spiritually? This is the most important question of all. Are you saved? Do you know Jesus Christ, not just know about Him, but know Him personally as your Lord and Savior? Do you love Him? Does your life reflect a desire to live for His glory?
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23 (LSB)
Every one of us stands before God as a sinner. That is not a comfortable word, but it is an honest one. And the honest reckoning of where you are before God is the first step toward something far better.
He Is Calling You
God is not interested in your excuses. Not your debates, your arguments, your philosophies, or your opinions. He is not up for investigation or negotiation. But He is calling, and the call is full of grace.
And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who draws near to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. Hebrews 11:6 (LSB)
You may think your past disqualifies you, that what you have done or where you have been puts you beyond reach. Hear what Jesus says:
All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will never cast out. John 6:37 (LSB)
Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. Matthew 11:28–30 (LSB)
You can come, not because of anything you have done, but because of everything He has done. Salvation is not earned. It is received:
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:8–9 (LSB)
Cry out to God. Confess your sin. Trust in Jesus Christ: His perfect life, His death on the cross in the place of sinners, His resurrection from the dead. He will not refuse you.
“WHERE ARE YOU?”
He is asking. He already knows the answer. The question is whether you will stop hiding and come to Him.