The Lord Is Our Helper

Genesis 3: 9 - 10, Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, "Where are you?" So he said, "I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself." NKJV 

When the Lord God came to fellowship with Adam, He soon discovered that sin had entered the heart of man. Even though God knew that Adam and Eve had sinned, He still didn't jump to conclusions and pass judgment against them. Instead, the Lord began to question Adam as to how he knew that he was naked. God didn't bring up the word "SIN," but asked him if he had eaten of the tree of knowledge. You and I both know that God wasn't ignorant of the sin in Adam's heart. However, the Lord was giving Adam a chance to take responsibility for his own actions.

This account of the fall of man into sin gives us a glimpse into our own hearts and carnal nature. Take notice that once man had sinned, he became afraid of God. Adam and Eve were so fearful of their actions that they tried to hide it from God. Here is the contrast between God and us: On one hand, God is patiently working with Adam and Eve trying to get them to confess their sins and repent. On the other hand, sin had so filled their hearts with fear that they were too WEAK to face the truth about what they had done.

God never stopped loving and reaching out to man, but the fear that sin produced in their hearts (and ours) causes us to become blind to God's goodness and grace.  Sometimes when we're forced to face the truth about our own faults and sins, it may seem easier for us to run. When the opportunity to sin arises in our hearts, the Lord will convict His children about hidden sin as He did with Adam. If you find yourself struggling with being faced with the truth about sin in your heart and life today, but out of fear you're hiding it from God, let me share some good news with you.

Remember, the Lord didn't force the truth on Adam. Instead, He asked him some questions? He wants us to trust Him and not fear Him when we have unconfessed sin in our life. Our trust will enable the Holy Spirit to begin the reconciliation process in our heart. Fear that is left unchecked can cause us to resist the goodness of the Lord, which leads us to repentance. The decision to trust God is the first step toward humility and becoming broken over our sin. At this point, you are submitting God and resisting the Devil. Therefore, the stronghold of sin will begin to crumble from your heart. Now you are in a position to receive strength from the Lord, our help in times of trouble, to confess your faults and receive the forgiveness of God. It's a great comfort to know that God loves us, even when we miss the mark. He shows us His goodness instead of judgment. It is even greater to experience His forgiveness once we confess our faults and turn from our wicked ways.

Jesus teaches us in John 15 that apart from Him, we can do nothing. When Paul realized that he had sin in his heart in Romans 7, he also realized that apart from Christ, he was just a hopeless wretch. I share those two references with you to encourage you with this final point. You and I have no strength to face the truth of who we are and what we have done apart from the strength of Christ. Therefore, when the Holy Spirit reveals sin that is residing in our heart, if we will simply humble ourselves, then He (JESUS our Helper) will give us the strength to walk in the truth. Furthermore, we will have the courage through our obedience to face it. This is called God's amazing GRACE. His strength is made complete in our weakness. To access God's grace, we must humble ourselves and agree with His will. The Lord is your Helper today. You can lean on Him.  

Standing Still, 

Pastor Asa