TEXT: GEN. 3: 9-10 – And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him,Where art thou? He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”
This month we shall be looking at the question God asked the first man He created, Adam. We are looking at the question because God is still asking the same question from you and me today. Just substitute the name Adam with your name and you would realise how relevant the question is to you and I. To start with, we can see that ever since the beginning of creation in Genesis chapter 1, God has not stopped speaking with men. As it was in the beginning with Adam, it is now and ever shall it be that God would continue to speak with men. One of the lessons that we can learn from this passage is the fact God has not stopped talking with men. This is perhaps understandable considering the fact that man was a part of God and an image of God. We were told in Gen.1:26 that “Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground” (NIV).
In Exod. 33:11a we also read that “the LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend” (NIV). This is a clear example of the kind of closeness that God can have with anyone whose ear and heart is prepared for His voice. God actually cherishes His relationship with His creation, man. In Num. 12:8a we see God confirming the level of closeness He shared with Moses. God said “with him (Moses) I speak face to face, clearly and not in riddles” (NIV). Do you want God to speak with you mouth to mouth as He spoke to Moses? God is still speaking to the children of men today as it was in the days of Adam. But it must be emphasised that not everyone whom God is speaking to are hearing Him for so many reasons. For God to speak with you, you must endeavour to open a line of communication between you and Him.
Dear reader let it be known that even though God is always talking to people, not everyone can recognise His voice for so many reasons. One of the reasons why many may not recognise His voice is because of sins. Of course, sinners cannot hear from Him because He is far from them. According to Prov. 15: 29, “The LORD is far from the wicked but he hears the prayer of the righteous (NIV). Because God is far from sinners, they cannot hear from Him. I pray that God would not be far from you in Jesus name. Brethren, when God is far from any man, such a fellow is opened to all kinds of evil. The farther God is from a fellow, the closer the devil is to that fellow. If you doubt this, then ask King Saul. I pray that your case would not be like that of King Saul in Jesus name. We were told about how Saul was tormented when the Spirit of God departed from Saul in I Sam. 16: 14. It was recorded that “now the Spirit of the LORD had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD tormented him” (NIV). It went further and more clearly in I Sam. 16: 23 that “whenever the spirit from God came upon Saul, David would take his harp and play. Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him” (NIV).
Samson was another example of someone who had a great priviledge of carrying the Spirit of God but lost it. We were told in Judges 16: 20, “then she called “Samson, the Philistines are upon you!” He awoke from his sleep and thought, “I’ll go out as before and shake myself free.” But he did not know that the LORD had left him” (NIV). I pray that the Spirit of God would not depart from you in Jesus name. That is why it is dangerous for anyone to assume that he/she is standing on the basis of past experiences. This is why the bible warns in Phil. 2:12 that we should work our salvation with fear and trembling.
Brethren, God always desires to speak to anyone whose hear and heart is prepared to receive from Him. I am sure that you know that the level of communication between you and a fellow is a function of your relationship with that fellow, except where you have to speak with some people in official and work-related capacity. How much personal information you are ready to share with a person is directly related to the level of relationship that you share with the fellow. No wonder you hear people say I am not in speaking terms with someone they have fallen apart with. Similarly, when you fall apart with God, He would not be on a speaking term with you. This is because at that point, you would have nothing in common with Him as His Spirit would have left. My prayer is that God would not reject you in Jesus name. His Spirit would not depart from you in Jesus name.
Shalom
HYMN: I AM THINE O LORD, I HAVE HEARD THY VOICE
Dr. Yinka Okude
Pastor – in – Charge
RCCG, Jesus Sanctuary, Northampton.
