Nothing is Hidden: Lessons From the Garden
Hebrews 4:12-13 “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”
For years after becoming a believer, the sin that I carried prior to that time haunted me. It was as though the enemy taunted me with it. “God will never use you, why would He give you a story that people will shame you for?” So I kept it hidden, all the shame, all the mess, because I believed the enemy was right.
The shame affected how much I was willing to share with others about my life, there was no vulnerability because it meant my shame and my past would be exposed.
That is the thing though – with God our mess is laid open, it is seen, evident and addressed.
There is another who couldn’t remain hidden. A couple who had fallen into temptation and sin through the fruit of a tree and the lies of the enemy. Adam and Eve sought to hide from God for fear of what they had done.
The shame of the mess we are carrying tempts us to stay in hiding. It lures us to cover or mask our past, or mistakes and our imperfections.
But just as God called to Adam and Eve, “Where are you?” He says the same to us. God knew where they were just as He knows where we are trying to hide. Nothing is hidden from God.
He called out to them from their hiding place and He offered them a covering. A covering of His making, one that is of His strength. While Adam and Eve’s covering was temporary it beautifully illustrated the covering that God would offer through His Son Jesus.
Everything in God’s hands has purpose, including what He has redeemed us from. We were not redeemed to remain silent about our healing. Our healing was meant to be for His glory – glory to be shared with others.
You see our healing reveals God to those who need to see Him in us.
I stood up in front of a crowd last year and finally felt freedom from the shame I carried over past sins, not because of myself but because God revealed His heart for me to no longer remain hidden – that others may find freedom.
Want to know more about how God can change your story too? Grab a copy of my new book Holy Mess now.