Where Art Thou?

Gen. 3:9 And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, where art thou? 10 And he said, I heard Thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.  11 And He said, who told thee that thou wast naked?  Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou should not eat?

I can only imagine how Adam must have felt while pondering God's questions.  (1) Where art thou? (2) Who told you that you were naked? (3) Have you eaten of the tree I commanded you not to eat of?  This was God Almighty in His infinite wisdom and Adam was standing before Him feeling guilty and helpless.  Not having much else to say, Adam blamed the woman that God had given him.

Can you identify with Adam?  Ever felt guilty and helpless, as if you could hear God asking  "where art thou?",  feeling naked and empty?  I can!  As hard as we try to stay focused and connected with our Lord we sometimes find ourselves in a state of ???????  Sometimes it's because of choices we make and other times it may be a test of our faith.  Difficult situations will cause us to examine ourselves to see where we are.  Storms of all sizes will come our way.  These storms will distract, detach, and distort the truth upon which we build our faith!  We can find ourselves in a state of "where art thou"?  A state of trying to hide.  BUT........the good news is that "Storms Have Purpose"!

When storms come just know that hidden somewhere inside of the storm is a blessing for you!  Yes, being a child of God we must remember that God loves us and that His thoughts of us are good only and not evil.  Jer 29:11  For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.  The enemy would rather have us forget whose we are and the privileges that are ours.  We have an inheritance in Christ that is unmatched by any inheritance from anyone, anywhere.  Let me tell you, God loves you, yes you, so much that He has your face carved in the palm of His hand.  Isa 49:15  Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.   Isa 49:16  Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.   What love and compassion our Father has toward us!

I don't know of a person I talk to that can say they are not experiencing a storm in one way or another.  Just remember, somewhere within the storm is your blessing.  Just ask yourself, where am I?  Listen for God's voice and obey His instructions.  Don't struggle, don't give up, just remember that God will give you an expected end.  I like to say that God will give me His expected end for my life.  In the process of the storm you can have peace.

Pray:  Thank you Father for reminding me that I am special and important to You.  Thank you for reminding me that the storms in my life have purpose and that if I rest in you I will get to the purpose you intend for me.  Knowing how much You love me keeps me in obedience to Your word.  I will praise you with my whole heart even in the midst of the storm for where You are is where I desire to be.  In Jesus' Name, Amen!