You could have heard a pin drop

Photo credit:  Janelle Keith - My quiet zone

There is a place that I go to everyday.  It's where I go to hear from God.

I read, He rights, and we talk.  Friendly conversations that gently fall softly upon my heart.  

I hear His sound.

It must be what Adam and Eve heard in the garden of Eden.  Think about how perfect that communion must of went every day.  Hangin' out with our Creator.

Shouldn't we be just a little excited about that kind of appointment too?

Imagine the fear they must have felt though, after knowing that they had directly disobeyed what God had told them.  No wonder they hid immediately.

Do we respond the same?  Full of shame and regret?

Why did they hide?  They were alone after all.  The serpent had just slithered into hiding, feeling really smug about what had just taken place.  

Genesis 3:1 "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."

Have you ever thought how far away the Lord really was?  I mean what other perfectly created outdoor space was there?  It was the only beautiful, peaceful, quiet, relaxing place to be.  

I don't think the Lord was too far from Adam and Eve when they were standing face to face with temptation.  I really think that Adam and Eve were so distracted by pleasure that they forgot that the Lord was near.

If God was that close, and they weren't aware of it, think about how Jesus resides in our hearts and we still do wrong things.  Would awareness of His presence cause us to stop when we are face to face with temptation?

I have asked myself this question.  It should, but honestly most times, sadly it doesn't.  I do wrong things in spite of Jesus residing in my heart.  How could I?  How this must hurt my Creator!

When I think about the Lord being near, so near that I can hear His sound, then it should totally change the way I deal with sin.  I shouldn't be thinking about doing what I know is wrong.

I shouldn't be eating for comfort.
I shouldn't be doubting the work He has done in my life.
I shouldn't be thinking about....
I shouldn't be sinning.
I shouldn't be making unholy choices.

How did Adam and Even know they needed to hide from God?  Their eyes were opened to shame immediately.  One bite in and they knew.  

They knew.  We know.

Their hearts were filled with shame.  Regret and now separation.  Guilt.  

How?

They heard the sound of the Lord.  They were so familiar with His Presence, that when He came close, they had to hide their sin, shame, and guilt.  They were so used to Him being with them, so used to sharing their time with Holiness.   Because God had been a constant companion, His Holy nearness was shared between the Divine and the human.  When shame and regret separated, the gap was palpable.  I bet you could have heard a pin drop in the Garden of Eden.  

All of creation held it's breath, and shame slithered and hid.  Shame shouted so loud in those moments of silence.   

God knew what had just happened, He had planned for this event.  He wasn't far away.  Adam and Eve made the wrong choice because they had forgotten the sound of the Lord.

Next time you're faced with temptation, and I am saying this to myself as well, may we all be so familiar with the sound of the Lord, that it causes us to stop and consider the benefits of obedience.

May we consider the palpable silence that sin causes in the shared community with the Divine.  

May we always consider that the Lord is near and always hear His sound.