July 10 Daily Devotional

Monthly Theme:

By God’s Word and Spirit the world was made, and he uses the same tools to rebuild the creaking cosmos. God does not save some souls from the wreckage of the planet; instead, the whole groaning creation must be delivered from bondage by the love and power of God.

Bible Reading:

Genesis 3:8–13

Bible Text:

They hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man, "Where are you?" (Gen. 3:8--9).

Devotional:

Apparently it was not unusual for God to come into the garden and talk with Adam and Eve. But on this day everything is different. Yesterday they enjoyed being close to God. Now they are overwhelmed with shame and fear. They cover themselves and they hide from God. Cowardly Adam tries to blame Eve, and Eve blames the serpent.

Sin has radically changed the relationship between God and his creatures. People no longer turn to God as flowers turn to the sun, but they love "darkness instead of light" (John 3:19). When God reveals himself, people cringe with fear. After the Bible's account of the fall, whenever God came to speak with a person, that person trembled—whether he was Isaiah the prophet (Isa. 6:5) or a shepherd in Bethlehem's field (Luke 2:9). Whenever the glory of the Lord appears, sinners fear for their lives. There is no shelter for our wretchedness when we confront God's blazing holiness.

In their hiding place among the trees, Adam and Eve hear God call, "Where are you?" They are afraid, but God's call is actually the first sign of his grace. God seeks them. They have not been abandoned. From now on, history will be the story of God seeking and calling while people are running and hiding.

"Where are you?" God has not stopped calling. Not yet. If you hear his voice today, do not delay but come.

Andrew Kuyvenhoven's Daylight, a modern devotional classic, was originally published in 1994. This edition is copyright by Faith Alive Christian Resources, from whom may be ordered Daylight, the predecessor of Twilight.

A man of many accomplishments, Andrew Kuyvenhoven is probably best known for his contributions to Today (formerly The Family Altar), a widely-used monthly devotional booklet associated with the Back to God Hour. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations for this edition of Twilight are from the New International Version

Be sure to read the "Preface" and the "Acknowledgments" by the author.