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June 22, 2008
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=========================== TODAY'S ARTICLE ==========================
In the Cool of the Day, by Tom Norvell
As a result of the fire that we experienced last year, most of the
vegetation we had around our house died. A very dear friend has
beautifully designed and replaced what was lost and has created new
spaces that have greatly increased the landscape of our lawn. As the
weather has warmed up and the rains have decreased, he called to remind
us of the importance of watering the new plant life to increase the
potential for growth and survival. In the message he left on our voice
mail he said, "You'll want to do this in the cool of the evening."
Trying to be a good steward and follow his instructions, I purchased a
new water hose (the old one had suffered major damage as well) and have
begun to water the plants. Most days, I try to follow his instructions
and do this in the cool of the evening. Schedules, however, do not
always allow that, so there are days that I do it in the cool of the
morning. (I hope that is okay.)
Whether morning or evening, as I have stood in the middle of a flower
bed or near a patch of freshly sewn grass with a gentle flow of water
from the hose, I have been reminded not only of my friend's
instructions to do this. I have also thought about what is said in
Scripture:
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).
Reflecting on those words, my two thoughts on this have blossomed.
First, it is sad and foolish that we try to hide from the Lord God.
There are no trees in my Garden (yard) big enough to hide behind, even
if I wanted to. And even if there were, do I really think that the One
who created me, the garden, and the trees, could not see me or find me?
But there apparently were really big trees in God's original garden.
The man in the garden reveals his reasons for hiding. "I heard you in
the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid." (Genesis
3:10) The man and the woman had lost the innocence of the Garden and
the purity of the relationship with the Creator. In his immaturity and
foolishness, they apparently decided, "We cannot let the Lord God know
what we have done."
We do the same thing, don't we? Whether in the cool of the day, or mid
afternoon, we often find ourselves hiding from God. We've disobeyed the
Creator of the Universe. We've dishonored Him. We've strayed from His
teaching. We've justified our sinful behavior. We've lost sight of our
value in God's eyes and presumed that we have found a better way to
live. We've chosen to set aside His plan for us and we have lied to
cover it up.
Stop trying to hide.
Then, we hear Him walking in the garden and calling to us, "Where are
you?" We are afraid. So, we hide. You can almost hear the astonishment
and sadness in God's response: "What is this you have done?" (Genesis
3:13)
Second, God wants to be with us. God came looking for the man. He
wanted to know, "Where are you?" He was created to be with God in the
Garden. That was the plan. That is still the plan. The cool of the day
is a wonderful time, not to hide from the Lord God, but to be with Him.
So is high noon and midnight. When He created the first man and the
first woman, He was pleased with His work and described it as very
good. Throughout history through His prophets, and eventually through
His son, God has continued to express His desire to be with us, to walk
with us where we are. That has not changed.
Today, whether you are in your garden, on the job, experiencing a time
of sickness, going through a trial, in a dry and desert place, climbing
a mountain peak, or trapped in sin, God is still asking, "Where are
you?"
Don't be afraid. Stop trying to hide. Remember, if He created that tree
you're hiding behind, He can probably move it if He wants to.
It's still the cool part of the day. The plants need water, and I need
to be where God is.
---------
(c) 2008 Tom Norvell <tomnorvell@mac.com>. Used by permission. A
Norvell Note <http://www.anorvellnote.com> is a weekly email
message from Tom Norvell. Check it out!
RELATED LINKS:
* Our Hope is in God
http://www.heartlight.org/articles/200707/20070715_ourhope.html
* The Cool of the Day
http://www.heartlight.org/articles/200610/20061022_cooloftheday.html
* Spurgeon's Evening Devotional
http://www.heartlight.org/spurgeon/0701-pm.html
* A Norvell Note
http://www.anorvellnote.com
This article can be found on the web at:
http://www.heartlight.org/articles/200806/20080622_cooloftheday.html
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