How awesome is the power of God.
He exists before the beginning. He speaks, and the universe comes into being. He forms men and women with intimate care, by His own fingers. He sovereignly rules over all—gods, angels, principalities, powers, rulers, birds, fish, animals, men and women. Yes, how great is our God.
How awesome, too, are the mercy and grace of God.
He sees the transgressions of Adam and Eve—our first parents. Despite His abundant love, generous provision, and clear counsel, they trust the Evil One. They trust their own senses and conclusions. They distrust their Creator. Together, they eat from the forbidden tree.
Immediately, the consequences of their joint-decision are felt. Guilt and shame consume them. They attempt to cover themselves. They hide.
Then come some of the most astonishing words in all of Genesis. God moves toward His foolish, sinful, dying, guilty, shame-filled, hiding friends and calls out,
“Where are you?” (Genesis 3:9)
He is ready to curse the Evil One.
He is ready to curse the ground.
He is ready to describe the relational and vocational pain that will follow.
But He is also ready to find, to converse, to uncover, to sacrifice, to reclothe, and to make gospel promises to sinners. Yes, He is the Lord—merciful, gracious, and longsuffering. He is the Friend of sinners. He is the Great Physician who heals the sick. He is the One who seeks and saves the lost.
And most importantly, He does not change. He is the same today—for you and for me.
Therefore, let us respond to Him who seeks us now.
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
Lucifer, Adam, and Eve are foolish and wicked, and by my natural birth, so am I. I am a child of the devil. I am a child of Adam. Eve represents me well. My sin is hellish. Its consequences are horrible. I feel the separation, the death, the guilt, and the shame. According to justice alone, I deserve the execution of Your divine sentence.
And yet, I hear You coming.
More than that, I hear You tenderly calling.
You, who understand the depth of my sin better than I ever could, refuse to leave me hidden. You come towards me displaying mercy, grace, and longsuffering compassion. For some reason, you will not let me go. I belong to You. You are mine, and you are proving it by speaking to my heart even now.
I confess my sins and transgressions.
I confess my only hope is found in the Father who curses and executes the Son in order to claim me anew.
I confess my only hope is found in the Creator who re-creates — who causes me to be born, and then causes me to be born again.
Thank You for wanting me.
Thank You for loving me.
Thank You for seeking me and finding me.
And now I respond: “Here I am.” Hold me in your loving arms. Let us walk together this year. Let us run together—away from the craftiness of the Evil One, the corruption of the world, and the carnality of my flesh. Help me enjoy deep and intimate communion with You—the God who seeks and saves, the God who always gets His man and His woman.
Amen.
Unfathomable Grace 