As a child of the ‘60s, I remember a hit song by Martha and the Vandellas called “Nowhere to Run.” The song was about a bad relationship and trying to escape from it. But several lyrics reminded me of another historical event much further back than 1965!

Everywhere I go, your face I see
Every step I take, you take with me, yeah

…

How can I fight a lover
That shouldn’t be
When it’s so deep, so deep
Deep inside of me

It made me think back to the first time a man tried to run away from his problems. This man and his woman had a great relationship with the God Who created the entire universe, and He placed them inside an unbelievable garden paradise. Yep! I’m talking about the famous “first couple,” Adam and Eve. Most people know the Creation story and how the first man blew it for the rest of us.

God said it is “not good” for man to be alone. So He created Eve from a rib taken from Adam’s side. God placed them inside this incredible paradise and provided everything they needed. But there was just one restriction — just one! That one tree over there, the tree of knowledge of good and evil — don’t eat from that one.

Simple enough, I guess. A little time passed. We’re not sure how long, but it wasn’t too long, because just one chapter into the Book of Genesis, Satan came along and put doubt into Eve’s head: God wasn’t fair! God withheld something from you — something that will make you just as knowledgeable as God Himself. Satan planted the thought in her head and human nature took over.

Next thing you know, she took a bite out of the beautiful Georgia peach (or mango — I love them both) and then gave it to Adam. She didn’t have to go far or do much convincing; she handed it straight to him and, like an idiot, he took a bite. And then, just like that, they were naked as a jaybird (not sure where that saying came from). What did they do? They ran and hid from God the Creator.

How’d that work out for them? When the Lord strolled through the Garden of Eden looking for Adam, He called out his name. He probably said something like, We’re over here hiding in the bushes because we’re naked! God said, Who told you that you are naked? and the whole episode then spilled out. Adam, in typical male fashion, took responsibility to protect his wife. Oh, wait … no, he didn’t!

In the first case of “blameshifting,” Adam said, It was the woman’s fault! I was doing fine until you gave her to me! That dog won’t hunt! God cursed the ground and kicked the first couple out, and we’ve been paying the bill ever since.

When the first couple blew it, when sin came into the picture, they ran and hid themselves. Ever since, when mankind sins, we hide. Why is that? Because we were created with a God-size hole inside our soul, and there’s only one thing that will fill that hole: God Himself through a relationship with His Son, Jesus Christ. The first man blew it for all of us. Jesus came to put paradise back in our hearts.

We see it on the face of a child when he steals a cookie; he knows he’s done wrong, and so he hides. As adults, it gets worse. The more we sin, the darker our lives become and we learn to hide from everyone.

Are you tired of running? I was exhausted from running and hiding. But instead of a rebuke, I found a loving, compassionate Heavenly Father. Isn’t it time you quit hiding and come Home?

Something to pray about!
Semper Fidelis