“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?’”
- Genesis 3:8-9 (NIV)

I think that this passage, albeit really sad, shows a very important quality of how God pursues us. Background: Adam and Eve were deceived and sinned against God by eating of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (try saying that fast five times). Because of Adam and Eve’s guilt and shame, not to mention their realization that they were naked, they covered themselves and hid from God.

Now here’s the really interesting thing. God, being the all-knowing Almighty being He is, calls out to the man and asks, “Where are you?”

I’m still in shock as I consider the implications of this question. The question suggests that our Heavenly Maker continues to search for us, even when we sin and turn away from Him. How wonderful it is to know that He calls out to us, waiting for us to respond to His leading, even when we have royally messed up and want to hide. I see this question, not as an indication of God’s ignorance, but His “kindness that leads to repentance” that Paul writes about (Romans 2:4). After I make a mistake, the last thing I want to do is to turn to God. I’m thinking, “oh boy, I’ve messed up yet again.” Then I want to find the largest blanket I can find and hide under it. But God, in His rich mercy and love, initiates the restoration by looking for us. Wow.

In light of this marvelous truth, I’m challenged by how I must treat other people, in order that I might reflect God’s character in the manner previously exposited.

1. Well, this revelation challenges me to initiate restoration with people who wrong me. Even if it’s just a perceived wrong and it’s just me being super sensitive, I should reflect Christ by taking the initiative and lovingly address the wrong with whoever’s involved.
2. I see this passage reflect God’s unending “search” for us. Likewise, I need to be more intentional in how I “search” for people – that is, don’t passively wait for others to invite me to do stuff, but also welcome others to share life with me.
3. With that being said, I also need to learn how to “call out” to other people. What I mean by this is the pursuit of people’s hearts. More specifically, this application could be shown in the way we should treat the romantic pursuit between man and woman. God’s pursuit of us is constant and isn’t hindered by sin or any other obstacle. Likewise, the way men ought to pursue women needs to be that of a “call” – an invitation to join them in life, consistent and constant.

May we all reflect God’s pursuit of us this week.