Playing Peek-a-boo With God
Anne Hathaway is an American actress and celebrity having appeared in several box office movie hits. Hathaway was voted Woman of the Year by Hasting Pudding in 2010 and is considered one of the most beautiful actors in Hollywood today. Beauty may get people’s attention, but it does not guarantee a life free of problems.
For Anne Hathaway, being famous has its seemingly attractive advantages, but it also has its celebrity setbacks. Several years ago, it was reported that Hathaway’s beautician (Maria Gabriela Hashemipour) pleaded guilty to stealing $1 million by fraudulently over-charging celebrity clients’ credit cards. This type of crime is called identity theft, and happens when someone steals your personal information.
The Bible tells us that Adam and Eve were made to be noticed because they were made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). Unfortunately, Adam and Eve’s popularity also captured the attention of the sly serpent in the Garden of Eden. The serpent decided to steal the identities of this perfect couple.
One of the major things the Devil took was their unbroken love connection with God. “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” (Genesis 3:8). Previously this perfect couple enjoyed spending time with God but now, tragically, when they heard God coming they ran as far as they could in the opposite direction. God loved them unconditionally—yet they ran away from Him.
What amazes me so much about this story is not how far our first parents ran from God, but how close God drew near to them after they had disobeyed Him. Look at what the Bible says: “Then the LORD God called to the man, “Where are you?” (Genesis 3:9). God wanted to find Adam and Eve even though they wanted to cover up their mistakes and hide from Him. What an amazing God! Even when we are in a mess and do things that hurt others, and Him, God does not search for us to punish us but rather He looks for us to accept His love and forgiveness—His gift of grace.
When you hear God knocking on your heart, do you desire to spend time with Him or, like Adam and Eve, do you find yourself running away? If you find yourself running, and you don’t have peace, why not try turning to Him? One way you can turn to God is through prayer. A simple prayer you can pray is: “Heavenly Father, I know that I have sinned against you and that my sins separate me from you. I am truly sorry. I am tired of running and want to start turning to You. I invite Jesus to come into my heart and be in charge of my life from this day forward.”
If you prayed that simple yet powerful prayer, you have taken your first step in turning to Jesus.
