‍When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the LORD God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees. Then the LORD God called to the man, “Where are you?” He replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.” ‍

‍“Who told you that you were naked?” the LORD God asked. “Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat?” 

‍The man replied, “It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it.” 

‍Then the LORD God asked the woman, “What have you done?”

‍“The serpent deceived me,” she replied. “That’s why I ate it.” —Genesis 3:8-13

Our questions toward God often reflect our human nature and dependence on God for support and guidance. But God’s questions to us serve a different purpose—they are less about providing us with specific answers and more about fostering a deeper relationship with Him. In the first message in our new series “Where Are You?”, Ps Luis Guerrero unpacks the heart behind a few important questions from Genesis 3 that help reveal what we truly believe about God, what we believe about ourselves, and how our view of God affects how we view the world around us. 

QUESTION 1: DID GOD REALLY SAY?

• The first question is not from God, but from the serpent—the enemy, the father of lies. Eve opened up her mind to a voice that was not God’s voice.
• The first way the enemy will try to attack us is not physically, but through our belief system. He will go after who we believe God is. The enemy doesn’t just want us to mistrust God’s word, but to doubt God’s character.
• God does not respond to our doubts or questions with judgment or condemnation. As we wrestle with God, it will actually lead to a more intimate relationship with him.
• We must be aware of the voices around us and the environment we are in. The enemy uses both external and internal dialogue to attack our belief system. That’s why we have to take every thought captive and submit them to God (2 Corinthians 10:5).
• Even time in community cannot replace your personal devotion and time with God.

QUESTION 2: WHERE ARE YOU?

• As sin entered their lives, Adam and Eve noticed their nakedness and experienced the shame that God never intended for them to experience. 
• Adam and Eve hid because what they believed about God had been tainted. Sin had placed a false idea in their minds that God would be angry with them if he saw them, so they hid instead of approaching their loving Father and confessing their sins.
• In moments where you should be repentant toward God, where do you turn? 
• When we sin, we will either run towards God or we will isolate and try to hide from God. But God always wants us to come to him.

QUESTION 3: WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?

• Because they feared what God’s response would be toward them, Adam and Eve both chose to blame others instead of owning up to their actions. 
• When God asks us questions, he already knows the answer. Despite God already knowing what we have done and will do, he still wants us to run to him.
• Every day we find ourselves in the garden. If our minds aren’t rooted in the word of God, deceptive thoughts will try to lure us away from God’s presence.

DINNER PARTY QUESTIONS

• What other voices can affect your beliefs about God or yourself? How can you focus on listening to God’s voice above others this week?
• Where do you turn in moments where you know you’ve messed up? Do you see God as a loving Father in those moments?
• Why is it important to stay rooted in the word of God?