GodReflection: God Breaks In Monday
I lacked courage to title this post, Walking Naked with God.
Such a title seemed irreverent.
Yet, there is an intimacy with the Creator at the core of the thought.
I sit back and attempt to imagine life prior to the fall. God planted a garden and watered it with stream irrigation—no rain needed. All in anticipation of the creation of Adam.
As the garden grew He formed Adam from the dust of the ground. From the same ground, he formed birds and animals of the field.
I picture God introducing Himself to Adam letting the new man know they would spend time together. Surely, the Creator made frequent visits. He gave Adam a two-part job description—to manage the garden and to name the animals.
I wonder how long it took God to parade each bird, livestock, and all the beasts of the field before Adam to receive a name. Did God or man count time? Was it days, weeks, or years?
Creation climaxed with the formation of Eve from Adams rib, from God’s dirt, and His Holy life giving breathe.
The Holy Spirit observes, The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.
However, shamelessness didn’t last.
I fast forward through the fall and find, 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.
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.
But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”
Here is what I think.
Prior to their disobedience Adam and Eve were so intimate with God and each other there was nothing to hide.
I envision God often leaving His heaven to break into the garden to walk and visit with man and woman. Whatever form He took certainly was familiar to them. They knew God. Perhaps they even watch giraffes frolic and play together as God’s eyes beamed with creation pride.
I suspect that He told the story of how his new friends and the garden came to be. I imagine He radiated His love and dreams of intimate friendship.
Each time God broke into the garden they walk naked and unashamed with their Holy friend.
When sin entered the garden, shame entered the relationship. The man and his wife could no longer stand naked before God.
So here I am thousands of year’s later living life making fig leaves to cover my shame. Truth is I’m not a very good tailor. I can’t seem to keep up with the patch jobs.
I look forward to the time in God’s restored garden when He will break in to walk with me and shame will be a relic of the past.
With the garden restored to the state of its original perfection, I wouldn’t be surprised to find myself walking naked with God and not even notice that I forgot to put on my tie.
Stay tuned.
Dr. Gary J. Sorrells – A GodReflection On God Breaks Into the Garden.
God Reflection 