Finding Faith In God’s Forgiveness

Dust To Dust

By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; you are dust, and to dust you shall return.  Genesis 3:19  This is part of God’s discourse to Adam and Eve after they had eaten from the tree in the middle of the garden. Like the child who avoids the stern look from a parent, the fact that they were hiding from God (as if they could) is evidence that they knew what they had done was wrong. It left them feeling some kind of way and when God calls them out – it wasn’t good. God’s openness and transparency with them and us is not just about obedience, but also about eliminating all possibilities that cause us to want to hide ourselves before him. By their actions, no longer were Adam and Eve naked before God as God was with them. No longer are they unashamed “to be” as they were. No longer are they able to walk freely and with boldness before their Creator. To this very day it takes a lifetime of experiences to walk with that kind of naked boldness before God. 

The ever increasing knowledge in this world today is more than any one person could possibly handle. There are those who claim to know a little about a lot of things. Yet, why expose ourselves to one who knows a little about a lot and hide our selves from God? From dust to dust our journey is to work towards the willingness to expose ourselves before God. For their disobedience Adam and Eve gained wisdom. With wisdom (knowledge) comes great responsibility, and a sense of power and authority over one’s life. Yet when we fail we question God’s presence. In reality, like Adam and Eve, it’s our presence before God that is lacking. The season of Lent calls us out – invites us to relinquish the serpents of doubt and despair which causes us to hide our selves from God. It gives us the opportunity to confess and expose ourselves once again and stand naked before our Creator. Wisdom (difference between right and wrong) requires that we take responsibility. Trusting in God’s forgiveness and faithfulness, we remember to give all things including our selves, power and authority back over to God. Openly, let the journey continue.