REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, provide by a former staff at an AMI church, was originally posted on July 6, 2014.

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Intimacy with God”

Genesis 3:8-9

And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”

In today’s text, we find the crucial turning point for humanity. This was the moment where we went from a God planned state of hosting His presence to being separated from Him.

Even though Adam and Eve had already eaten from the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil at this point, verse 8 shows us what God intended for mankind in the Garden of Eden.  One commentator wrote, “The description of Eden with its trees, rivers, gold, and so on emphasized God’s presence there. Therefore it seems likely that it was not unusual for him to be heard walking in the garden ‘in the breeze of the day,’ i.e., in the afternoon when cool breezes spring up and the sun is not so scorching. Maybe a daily chat between the Almighty and his creatures was customary. The term ‘walking’ is subsequently used of God’s presence in the Israelite tent sanctuary again emphasizing the relationship between the garden and the later shrines.” The created condition was one of hosting where God would walk among us and we would fully engage with Him.

When Adam and Eve sinned, that intimate relationship was broken. Even though God was in the garden among them, the reality was that there was an uncrossable gulf between them. Isaiah 59:2 says, “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.”

If we take this Genesis context into our understanding of Jesus’ sacrifice, what it shows us is that His death was for more than our sins that needed atoning: It was to ultimately bring back true intimacy with God.

When we think about the purpose of Jesus’ sacrifice, we need to look at more than just forgiveness of sins and a ticket to heaven. His broken body is the bridge that we walk through to regain intimacy with God. Today, ask the Lord for deeper sensitivity to His presence and intimacy with Him. Be confident in asking this because this is why Jesus laid down His life for us.

Prayer: Dear God, help me to draw closer to You so that I may walk in a deeper sensitivity to Your presence.  Father, I seek a palpable experience with You, not only to sense Your love but Your holiness as well so that I may have a proper fear of God to walk away from sins. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 2 Corinthians 4