Where Are You?

Adam and Eve had just eaten from the one tree in the garden from which they were forbidden to eat, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. With that bite, they discovered the truth, they had been naked all along. Now they felt compelled to cover their nakedness. Afterward, God came through the garden and called out to Adam, asking an interesting question, “Where are you?”

Was the omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient Creator of the universe incapable of pinpointing Adam’s whereabouts? Did The Almighty truly not know Adam’s location and misdeed? Or, was God asking a totally different question? Perhaps the question really was, “Where are you in being obedient to my commands? Where are you in your relationship with me? Why are you trying to hide from Me?” God knew the answer to the question, “Where are you?” but perhaps the question was posed to challenge Adam to recognize his failure and his situation.

Even today, God asks pointed questions about where we are, not in geographic terms necessarily, but in order to help us discover the nakedness of where we are and who we are spiritually. It is like the questions parents ask children: “Where are you? What are you doing? Who is going with you?” While the questions are designed to prompt an answer, they also position the child to consider their responsibilities and the consequences of their actions.

If you have ever been lost, and called someone for directions, one of the first things the person asks is, “where are you?” It seems like an illogical question to a person who is lost. But discovering where you are at that moment is an essential navigational aid in helping you get to where you want to go. When you feel God or others are questioning where you are, don’t do like Adam and get defensive or try to pass the blame. Instead, recognize it is simply God’s way of navigating you back on course to where you, and God, wants you to go.