Uncovered

"The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame."  Genesis 2:25

As I mentioned before, I am taking a fabulous new Bible study at my church and I have not been able to stop thinking about a portion of Session 1 of A Woman's Heart: God's Dwelling Place in which Beth Moore discusses Genesis 2:25.  She starts, "nakedness in Genesis 2 was not about life with no clothes."  (Of course, Adam and Eve were not wearing clothes before the fall but they did not know any different at that point so that is not the important point in that verse.)  Nakedness, to paraphrase Beth, meant also, and more importantly, that they felt no shame, no fear.  


Beth continued to teach that the Enemy despises anyone who is transparent and out there before God.  When Adam and Eve fell to temptation, they also fell to shame and fear.  And that is when they began doing what we continue to do to this day- covering.  Of course, it is impossible to cover up ourselves from God but that doesn't stop us from trying.


One of Beth's prayers for this Bible study is that we learn how to quit covering in front of Him.  To be out there in confession before Him so that He can cover us.  Just as He did for Adam and Eve.  He covered their shame.  Oh, they tried to cover themselves and hide from God but it was not enough.  It never could be.  Not for them and not for us.  It left them afraid and ashamed.  In the end, He found them hiding, He forgave them and He covered their nakedness, their fear and their shame.

Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, 

whose sins are covered.  Psalm 32:1

Who will we believe, Beth asks pointedly- the Enemy who urges us to cover?  Or God who says, "I've got you covered"?  Oh, how I want to believe Him!  I want to stand before Him uncovered- confessing and receiving His covering every day.  I want to exchange my shame and fear for His forgiveness, grace and blessings!  I want to let Him into the darkest corners of my heart and the lowest points of my emotions to do His work.  Why don't I do this more consistently, I wonder all week?  I know He sees and knows it all already!


Well, I think I found my answer in Session 2, which focused on the Israelites in the wilderness whom God fed with manna.  Beth emphasizes how God requires we come to Him each day for our spiritual nourishment.  Just as the Israelites had to gather the manna each morning, we are required to gather our daily bread each day.  Beth notes two objections we have to God's insistence on daily fellowship for our spiritual sustenance- pride and fear.  The objection based on pride is one of self sufficiency and the idea that I can and should take care of myself.  I think the humbling journey of motherhood has beat this particular objection out of me at this point :)  


But fear?  Here is where I heard God's Spirit gently convicting me.  The fear that He won't come through when I need Him to or worse that I won't have the victory that those around seem to have.  Yes, Lord, I confess that I am afraid to be naked before You, to receive Your nourishment, because I am afraid I will be the one Christian You won't bring into victory!  


Our fear, Beth exhorts, is God's invitation to faith.  And what is faith?  

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."      Hebrews 11:1

So how will I respond to my fear, to His invitation?  I pray it will be a response of faith.  I am purposing to meet with Him daily in private confession and prayer.  I am believing He will cover my trangressions and bless me with His grace, forgiveness and eventually, the victory I long for in certain areas of my life.

"Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope:
Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him."
The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him"  Lamentations 3: 19-25