Hiding from God

Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man, "Where are you?" --Genesis 3:8,9 (NIV)


That box of fruit juice was very tempting. Not tempting to drink, but tempting to jump upon with all my might. I was only 11 years old and the time, and hadn't really thought much about the laws of physics that would determine how the energy and force of my foot would affect the juice box.


SQUEEEEEET!

There was a split second of sheer delight followed by a decidedly unpleasant sinking feeling. My cheeks flushed as red as the juice that now covered most of my friend's clothing. I knew I was in deep, dark trouble when our moms came to pick us up from school. Thankfully, our mothers didn't arrive at the same time, and I was able to conceal my guilt for a little while longer. As soon as we got home, I took off on my bike, hoping that the situation would be forgotten and I would avoid punishment for my little stunt.

Not so. After more than an hour of riding around aimlessly, I finally went home. My mom met me at the door with "the look" and stern tone as she said "Kristen's mom called. Where were you? What did you do?"

We all try to hide from the stupid things we do. We know full well when we've done something that displeases God, and we attempt to conceal our guilt by concealing ourselves. We try to hide, hoping that maybe this time God didn't notice our sin. Perhaps we think that as time passes, he may just decide to forget about being angry with us for our disobedience. That may be how we are used to people or parents dealing with us, but it's not how God deals with his children.

When my mom firmly demanded that I tell her what I had done, it wasn't because she didn't already know. She knew exactly what had happened; she had already heard it from my friend's mom during a phone call. Still, she needed me to confess and explain not only what I had done, but why I thought I needed to hide because of it.

When we realize our sin our natural impulse is to conceal it or cover it up. However, it's impossible to hide from God. He knows our every thought and every action. Even so, he wants us to come to him and confess our sin. When Adam and Eve hid from God, they didn't really expect that God wouldn't find them. When God called to them saying "Where are you?" he wasn't unaware of where they were or what they had done. When we own up to our ill-conceived and thoughtless actions, and are ready to bear the consequence of our sins, we need to come before God. He is willing to forgive us for everything, but not if we don't ask it of him. He longs to give us the peace and comfort of being absolved from our sins, but that doesn't happen automatically.

Even when we confess and tell God about what we've done, we are still subject to the consequences of our actions. Just because I explained to my mom about the juice box, didn't mean that I wasn't going to be dismissed without some sort of discipline. I had to write a note of apology to Kristen and her mom, and offer to replace the clothing that had been ruined by the juice. My apology certainly didn't remove the cranberry stains from Kristen's pants, but it did demonstrate that I was willing to take responsibility for my actions. That experience served to remind me that I cannot hide from Mom, and I certainly can't hide from God.

Breathing On Mars

“the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” Genesis 2:7 (NIV)

The earth’s atmosphere is composed of nearly 21% oxygen. By contrast, the atmosphere on Mars is mere 0.13% oxygen—hardly enough to make that planet seem a likely place for life to exist. With every breath, our body’s energy production is increased as the red blood cells are infused with this life-sustaining element. Without sufficient levels of oxygen, major body organs are at risk of being damaged. Considering what science has proven about life and the requirement for certain atmospheric conditions, how is it that some scientists still hope to discover life on a planet that is so barren and inhospitable? What is the key to discovering and/or cultivating life on Mars?

Perhaps this is the stuff of science fiction, but maybe there’s something of a spiritual truth hidden in our quest for life on other planets. If someday life was found on Mars, the first question most scientists would want answered is “how does it survive?”

On days when I feel overwhelmed, spiritually attacked, and utterly exhausted from living in an unwelcoming world, I ask myself that very question about faith. How does it survive? How does faith endure when for all intents and purposes I should have given up hope long ago?

What is the spiritual equivalent of oxygen? What keeps the spirit and heart functioning enough to keep moving without losing ground?

The answer is found in God, and the work of his Holy Spirit. In ways I cannot explain or easily comprehend, I know that I have been given a way to breathe in fresh, pure oxygen in a place where the atmosphere is filled with carbon dioxide. I am able to survive because of what Christ has done for me. It is as though the hostile conditions of the Martian atmosphere have been converted into something that doesn’t leave me futilely gasping for breath.

Quite a Complement

The Lord God said "it is not good for man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him." --Genesis 2:18

My mom was right. My mother-in-law was right. My friends who got married before me were right. Every book I read about Christian marriage relationships was right. Men and women are very different...in a good way!

This weekend I was given a large dose of insight into the male mind. As a result, I now understand my husband on a deeper level and have a better idea of how to be more loving to him in the ways he needs and wants it. I now appreciate how smart God is to have made men and women different so that they may be perfectly complementary to one another in every way imaginable.

If my husband and I were the same in how we thought about things, we would probably never consider all the angles necessary to make a good decision. God has gifted each of us differently. During family discussions, sometimes I am able to bring up a point of view that my husband may not have considered. What's more, he is often able to be much more objective than I am. He is better at solving problems without becoming overly sensitive or emotional about it.

Although I wouldn't necessarily go so far as to break things down into being "woman's work" or "man's work", I do believe that there are certain things that men are much better designed to do--physically, mentally, and spiritually. God has given the husbands the task of being the head of the family--the spiritual leader and representative of Christ to his wife and possibly children. Women on the other hand, are called upon to keep the household together. The wife of noble character described in Proverbs 31 works just as hard as her husband, but does so in softer, more subtle ways. She is able to do this because her husband values her and finds great worth in her.

The fact that I must rely on my husband for things that do not come naturally to me reinforces my relationship with Christ. Just as I would surely fail if I were to attempt to take on the mindset and responsibilities of a man in order to be self-sufficient, I would also fail in my attempts to do anything on my own without Christ. Because I am blessed to be married to a Christian man, I have the benefit of seeing daily examples of God's provision for me. Furthermore, our relationship, and all the complementary ways we interact and communicate our love for one another, are the tiniest glimpse of the kind of love God has for us.

My Faith as a Scientist

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. --Genesis 1:1

Over the last week or so, I have been busy working on a presentation that I will be giving to a group of 4th grade students on the topic of global warming. I have been forced to translate the scientific truths I know from a university-level perspective into language that make sense to a 10 year old. This is not easy.

The more I have attempted to strip down the complex chemical interactions, mathematical principles and biological processes that are part of the greenhouse effect and global warming, the more I realize that I cannot explain it easily and concisely. However, I do know that at the core of all science is order, and the fact that order came out of chaos. Everything that seems so complex about science is actually quite simple in light of one simple statement. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

Because of my belief in God as a supreme being, a creator God, I am able to be at peace with the aspects of science that I don't readily or easily understand. I may not ever be able to calculate how many square feet per second a comet loses on its journey across the sky, but I know that each of the stars of the heavens were placed there by the hand of God himself.

Not all scientists have faith or a religious background that shapes the way they view the physical world. Some scientists choose to reject Christianity altogether. Christians also have difficulty reconciling their convictions with what science presents to them. Many do not believe that science and faith could or should coexist. There are times when I have found myself under fire from both sides of the argument. The Christian community sneers at the scientific truths I believe. The scientific community sometimes mocks my "simple minded" religion. Despite these infrequent attacks from the extreme sides of the argument, it has more often been my experience that my point of view is well respected.

God gives me tremendous insight into the world that He created. My work as an environmental scientist gives me a way to further understand all of the complex and wonderful systems that God set into motion at the very moment that He created the heavens and the earth. My faith grows steadily as I study science. Furthermore, my scientific understanding is enhanced when I seek God out through his creation.

Origins and Destinations

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. --Genesis 1:27


These days it is hard to open up the newspaper and not find something about the ongoing intelligent design/evolution/creation controversy. My own thoughts on the subject have been influenced by two primary sources: 1) The Bible 2) my undergraduate education. The other day God presented me with an additional piece of information to add to my growing compendium of knowledge on the subject. The source of this insight was, oddly enough, Christian comedian Mark Lowry.

In his book Live Long and Die Laughing, Lowry includes a chapter that is intended as an open letter to a newborn baby. One simple thought in that chapter blew me away completely. Lowry writes that every part of God's creation was spoken into being--everything that is, except us. God formed us with his hands and breathed life into us. He cares so much about us that He has taken direct involvement in our lives from the very beginning. He also loves us so much that He provides a way for us to have eternal life.

The part about being formed by God's hands. I knew that. But I missed it. Animals, stars, oceans, plants, Adam--all of it had been lumped together in my mind. Somewhere between my faith and my academic pursuits I had missed the distinctively wonderful reality of humanity's place in the creation story.

I can't even begin to explain how much this simple revelation has changed the way I think about certain things, including my view of myself. My mental picture of God's work in my life and His will for me is clearer now. What I am (a biped, mammal, Homo sapiens, etc.) may be the product of biophysical natural processes, but who I am is the result of God's direct involvement in my life.

Scientifically speaking, I don't really care so much about life's origins. Spiritually speaking, I'm very interested in where I'm going to spend my eternity. Because of Christ, I am assured of eternal life in heaven where I will be given a form that is quite different from my earthly body. Nothing of my biological shell will be there in heaven. That's amazing to me.

A Beautiful Reminder

And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth." --Genesis 9:12-13

It's one thing to suffer at the hands of another human being, but it is quite another to be a victim of a natural disaster. When I hear reports on the radio of the crimes people commit against helpless innocents, I feel justifiably enraged. However, I really don't quite know what to do with the feelings I have when I hear the latest tally of the dead bodies in Sumatra that have resulted from the recent devastating tsunami. The aftermath of "acts of God" leaves many wondering where God is during such times.

I was pondering that very thing on my morning commute. The noise from heavy rainfall had awakened me intermittently throughout the night. Consequently, my disposition was something less than sunny. I started praying, asking God to lift my exhausting and headache just enough for me to be productive at work, and while he was at it, could he please give me a sense of peace even though things are happening in the world that I don't understand.

As I rounded the last curve of Mira Mesa Boulevard onto Sorrento Valley road, God presented me with a beautiful reminder of an ancient promise. Stretching before me was a rainbow. I smiled to myself, content to know that for me and countless other Christians, a rainbow has an even deeper significance than just being a lovely aspect of earth and atmospheric sciences.

Thousands of years ago, a natural disaster wiped out nearly every creature on earth. The Great Flood was God's way of punishing man, with whom he was displeased. Noah and his family were the only ones at the time who were living a life obedient to God. Because of their faithfulness, Noah and his family were spared. When the flood waters receded, God promised Noah that he would never again destroy the world with a flood. God placed his rainbow in the sky as a beautiful physical reminder of the covenant that was made.

I don't know if the natural disasters taking place around the world today are part of God's judgment for mankind's disobedience, or if there is some other reason for the tremendous loss of life that occurs with such events. I do know that God is in control, and I find comfort in the knowledge that God has promised us eternal life that is free from the suffering we face here on earth. If he makes the rainbows appear even among the clouds of a turbulent storm, how much more so will he be able to create something beautiful out of the disasters we encounter in every day life?

Telling Time

He took him outside and said "Look up at the heavens and count the stars--if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be." --Genesis 15:5

God's time frame is very different from ours. He has a plan for us, but it can't be necessarily broken down into a calendar year, or an hourly appointment schedule block. God speaks to our hearts and directs our path so that we learn the things we need to learn at the proper times. Sometimes he shows teaches us explicitly, while other times he merely gives us a hint and a promise and then leaves us waiting for their fulfillment. In these ways, God is continually shaping us into people who know his heart better and are able to walk with him more closely.

When God promises us that something will happen, he usually doesn't tell us when. He promises to fulfill his purpose for us, but doesn't hand us a pen and point to a calendar date that we can circle. In today's verse, we read about an amazing yet puzzling promise that God made to Abraham. This promise was that Abraham's descendants would be even more numerous than the stars in the night sky. I have often wondered if Abraham and his wife Sarah began making a list of baby names the very next morning.

Contrary to whatever Abraham may have expected as a result of his conversation with God, the promise of offspring did not become a reality for him until many years later. Shortly after the stargazing experience recorded here in Genesis, God remained silent on the subject--likely to Abraham and Sarah's frustration. It is likely that the pair questioned if God had really made a promise to them, and if he had, then why had he seemingly forgotten about them?

Sometimes I can relate to that feeling. It feels as though God gives me a glimpse of things to come, but then forgets to come fill in the details for me. There are times when he shows me wonderful and powerful things but doesn't show me how to reach the point of attaining them. Perhaps God uses those silent periods to give me a chance to mull over what I have learned from him, and dig deeper on my own before drawing concrete conclusions.

Although it may feel like God leaves us in silence for a time, we can rest assured that he has not forgotten about us or abandoned us. He has instilled in our hearts the hope that his promises will be kept and fulfilled in accordance with his perfect timing. Faith in God means faith in his plan, not matter how hard it is to see it from where we are standing. As we spend more time growing in our relationships with him and developing a better understanding of his character, we will undoubtedly learn how to tell time.