They Heard His Footsteps

   

“When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees. Then the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?””

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭3‬:‭8‬-‭9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

     Adam and Eve heard the Lord God walking.  What does God’s foot steps sound like?  I know in a family, you get to know each persons footsteps so well, that they can walk into a room, and you can know who it is even when you don’t see them, just by the sound of their footsteps.  We each have unique steps, almost as unique as our finger prints.  Our gait or the way we walk is unique to us.   So God walked in the garden.  Adam and Eve could hear His footsteps.  They knew it was Him.  But what does that mean?  When God walked in the garden that means His presence was there.  You can hear His presence before you even see Him or hear Him speak.  There is a hearing of His presence.

   But where was Adam and Eve?  They were hiding in the trees.  In Nature.  In the natural things of the world.  They were in fear.  They heard God’s presence and knew He was there, but they were afraid.  They hid in fear.  They hid in the natural things of this world.  

    After God’s presence came, then He spoke.  He confronted Adam and Eve in their fear.  I’m sure God knew right where they where, but He made them answer the question, ‘Where are you?”  God wants us to locate ourselves.  Where are you?  Why aren’t you walking with me.  Why are you hiding in the trees?  And who’s been talking to you telling you lies.  Who are you listening to?  Why aren’t you hearing me?  All this and more was tied into the question of “Where are you?”

    Locate yourself. Find why and where you’re hiding from God.  Even when you hear God’s presence, ask yourself, why aren’t you then walking  with Him in the cool evening breezes?   Don’t let fear rob you from walking with God daily.  Thank God Jesus redeemed us, and we can again walk about with God daily.  

   These verses imply that it was it was normal that Adam and Eve would walk with God in the cool of the day.  I thought it interesting that it was the cool evening breezes.  I would think God would walk about in the morning coolness (He does walk then too), but after the whole day has gone by and things have cooled down, there was God walking about in the garden.  He was doing a ‘walk about.’  Which means an informal stroll among a crowd conducted by an important visitor.  This crowd was only two people, but He was a VERY important vistor to the garden.  The very creator of it all!

   We don’t understand, and have no comprehension what it would be like to walk and live in perfection.  We live in the world that’s been ‘fallen’ for a long time.  But then, it was perfect, because God always creates perfect.  But listening (hearing) lies caused it no longer be perfect.  When Adam sinned, the world around him fell too.  Our actions, our sin, causes not only our life to have consequences but all around us.  Our children, our friends our little world, is effected by us.  So let it be a good ripple effect, not a bad one. 

    It all gets back to what are we hearing.  Are we hearing God’s footsteps in our life?  Do you know Him enough to recognize His footsteps, as he walks into your garden?  Hear Him.  Get out from behind that tree, and begin walking with Him!  The sound of His footsteps comes before Him speaking into you life.

   One further thought.  In a church setting, God’s presence often comes in before “He Speaks.”  Hear!