Ain't got nothin' to hide

Today's reading was in Genesis 3 and is a story we're all familiar with, I'm sure: The fall of man, Eve being lured in by the devil and eating the fruit and sharing it with Adam.  And disobedience and sin and darkness enters the world.

The End! What an ecouraging word!

HAHA...just kidding.

As I was reading I was saying "God, I've read this 100,000,000 times before. I know the story. But would you show me something new from it today." And wouldn't ya know, He did just that.

I was just struck by the hiding that happened in verse 8 "And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and then man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God...."

After they had done the deed and been disobedient they hid because they knew they had done something wrong. I just stopped to imagine all the things they were probably filled with at that moment:

guilt
fear
shame
the weight of sin
the burden of hiding

What nasty feelings. Those things make me cringe my nose and grit me teeth because they're awful.  I am reminded of the days when I was filled with those exact emotions.  The days when I lived in the chains of guilt and shame.  The days when I knew all too well the burden and weight of hiding things....from God (which is silly in itself) and my parents and those who loved me.  The days of going places and donig things I didn't want anyone to know about. 

The weight of those things crushed me. The weight of the sin and lies and hiding was so much to handle. 

By the grace of God those days have been forgiven and this girl has been redeemed and made new.  Jesus has washed me clean and showed me the joy of living a life in the light--living a life that has nothing to hide.  And oh is it a marvelous thing!

Thank you Jesus for your freedom.

May we live a life with nothing to hide.
May we know the freedom and joy that it brings.
May we ask the Lord to search our hearts everyday and show us the spots that still need His freedom and revival. 
May we remember that we've been redeemed, but may we also remember where we've come from so we can thank Him for all he's done!