Maybe you grew up looking for God in the people who said they knew Him. And some of those people were mean. Condemning. Quick to point out everybody’s sins and somehow always running out of time when it came to their own.
Maybe you’ve never opened a Bible and wouldn’t know where to start. Maybe you used to pray, but life happened, and somewhere along the way, you stopped. Maybe the question you keep coming back to is, If God is real and He loves us, why does He allow so much evil?
Or maybe you already believe, and you could use a little reminder of why you fell in love with God in the first place.
If any of that sounds like you, come sit with me for a minute.
Imagine you’ve just brought your baby home. You’ve been planning and preparing for months. You walk through the door with that little baby in your arms and say, “Welcome home! Look what we made ready for you!”
You give them the whole tour. “Here’s the kitchen. Here’s the bathroom.” Then you get to the room you’ve been waiting to show them. “And HERE’S YOUR ROOM!” Now, this baby can barely hold their head up, and here you are giving them a full house tour. 😂 But you’re excited! You already love this little person, and you can’t wait for them to enjoy what you’ve prepared.
That’s how I picture God, our Creator, our Heavenly Father, the Most High Yah, when I read about the garden in Genesis. I can just imagine Him walking Adam through it. “Look, Adam! Here’s your home! I made the day for you to explore and the night for you to rest. Here’s water to drink, fruit to taste, and all these animals for you to discover. Feel the sun on your skin. Listen to those birds. Go on and taste that fruit over there!”
Genesis tells us that God formed Adam from the dust and breathed life into him. (Genesis 2:7–9)And can we stop right here for a second? God made a whole garden for Adam, and He gave Adam ways to ENJOY it! Eyes to see the colors. Ears to hear the birds. A nose to smell the flowers. A tongue to taste that sweet fruit. Skin to feel the warmth of the sun and the coolness of the water. And that water he could feel running through his fingers? His body needed it, too! Come on now. Think about how much thought went into that!
Being one of the parents of a child within the special education community has made me pay attention to things I might have otherwise taken for granted. I think about how much it means to hear somebody you love laugh, to feel a hand reach for yours, or to have a way to say “I love you.” And that last one? My little girl (being that she's nonverbal) has taught me how much love can be said in a hug. We each experience the world and share what’s in our hearts in our own ways. How often do we stop and thank God for the ways we get to take it all in?
The next time you take a bite of something so good you have to close your eyes for a second (y’all know what I’m talking about 😂), pause right there. “God, thank You for making this. And thank You for making me able to enjoy it with the sense of taste!” The more I sit with that, the more I think, Wow. How sweet and loving is the heart of a God who thought of all that? Who wouldn’t want to know that God?
That’s a side of God I wish more people got to see. Before Adam ever did a thing to earn anybody’s approval, there was already a place prepared for him.
Now imagine that baby is a little older. The child you couldn’t wait to show around the house is suddenly determined to touch EVERYTHING in it.
“WATCH OUT! GET DOWN! DON’T TOUCH THAT! IT’S HOT!”
And of course, that’s when they want to look you dead in the eye and reach for it anyway. 😂 I think about that when I read God’s commands. How many times have I wanted God to explain Himself while my hand was still reaching for the very thing He told me to leave alone?
When you really think about it, the commandments are just Our Heavenly Father God saying, "WATCH OUT! DON'T DO THAT! DON'T GO THERE! DON'T TOUCH, IT'S HOT! BE CAREFUL! GET DOWN! STOP!" Like a parent does. Like our parents did.
If you consider God's commands at a glance, God's love and wisdom shows throughout it. It's basically,
~Do not kill, steal, cheat, lie, moral laws, etc... = Love each other. Don't hurt each other. (Exodus 20: 1-17, Deuteronomy 5: 6-21)
~Dietary laws/ Do not eat this because it's not good for you. Cook or kill it this way because you can get sick. = I, your God and Creator, love you and want you to be healthy. (The animals I asked you not to eat are the scavengers of the earth, made to help clean the earth.) (Leviticus chapter 11 and Leviticus chapter 20)
~No idols, no other gods, sacrificial and ceremonial l laws, etc. = Remember who I, your Creator, your God, "I Am" and do not to take me for granted! I've shown my love for you and I want you to show that you love and respect me by trusting me, obeying me, and giving me credit and appreciation where it's due (which is worship). (Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy)
When Jesus was asked which commandment was greatest, He said to love God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and to love your neighbor as yourself. He said all the Law and the Prophets hang on those two commands. (Matthew 22:36–40) What would change in our homes, our churches, and our friendships if we actually lived like the people around us mattered to God as much as we do? And for those of us who call ourselves Christians, here’s a question I have to sit with, too. What are people learning about God from the way I treat them? If somebody told me I hurt them, would I listen? Would I own it? Would I change how I treat them?
But of all these commands and wisdom from God, He doesn't want to make us do it. God gives us the freedom and power of choice!
If a Christian hurt you, especially if they used Scripture to do it, I can understand why opening a Bible might be the last thing you feel like doing. Jesus Himself called out hypocrisy in people who honored God with their lips while their hearts were far from Him. He took that seriously, and so should we. (Matthew 15:7–9) And that question about evil deserves room here, too. I believe our choices matter. We can choose to love people, and we can make choices that do real harm.
Then there’s the suffering that leaves you asking why God didn’t step in. I wish I had an answer for every person who has had to ask that through tears. In the Psalms, people cried out to God and asked, “How long?”. Jesus wept at Lazarus’s tomb.
If grief or anger is what you have to bring to God today, you can start there. (Psalm 13, John 11:32–36)
Have you ever tasted something so good you just HAD to get somebody else to try it? You’re already holding the spoon out, talking about, “Here. Just taste it!” That’s how I feel about sharing this with you.
First John says it plain. “God is love.” And when I want to remember what love looks like in real life, I go to 1 Corinthians 13. Love is patient. Love is kind. It takes no pleasure in evil. It rejoices with the truth. It protects, hopes, and perseveres. Then I have to go back and read it a little slower. (1 John 4:8, 1 Corinthians 13:4–8)
John 3:16 says God loved the world so much that He gave His Son so that those who believe in Him could have everlasting life. When I read about Jesus going to the cross, I think about what it cost Him to give Himself for us. That’s how far He was willing to go to reach us. (John 3:16, Matthew 27)And when I think about getting to know Jesus, I keep coming back to the people He invited to come to Him. The weary. The people carrying heavy burdens. The ones who needed rest. If that sounds like you, I’d start with what Jesus says to them in Matthew 11:28–30. (1 Peter 5:7)
Galatians says the Holy Spirit produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control in us. This fruit is delicious, y’all!! And yes, I could use another helping of patience. Probably before I leave the house in the morning. (Galatians 5:22–23)
God’s Word is full of goodies and treasures. And depending on what kind of day you’re having, a different one might be exactly what you need.
If you’re curious, or if you used to believe and don’t know how to start again, try one honest prayer. It can sound as simple as, “God, I have questions. If You’re there, I’d like to know You for myself. Help me take one step toward You.”
You can tell Him what happened, what you miss, or what you’re still mad about. And if you want somewhere to open the Bible, start with that invitation from Jesus in Matthew 11. Read it slow and imagine Him saying it to you.
Everywhere I go, whether I’m at work, at the store, at the park, or at church, I speak to people. My little girl will go right up and hug somebody before I’ve even finished saying hello. She’s QUICK with it, y’all. (lol.)
Sometimes I say hello and the person keeps right on walking. And I think, That’s okay. Maybe we’ll be friends in heaven someday. Or maybe we’re already friends in the future and they just haven’t found out yet. 😂 I like thinking about people that way. The person I pass in the store today might be somebody I’ll get to sit down with one day and hear their whole story.
So please know this. I hope you can hear my heart in this. Have you ever had something so delicious, so beautiful, so exciting, so good, that you just wanted to share it? You just wanted to experience it will someone else or at least try to see if they'll love as much as you? Well, that's what this is. And rather you take that first step toward God today, or if you’re still sitting with all your questions, I’m glad you spent a little time with me. God loves you, and so do I.
Sincerely,
Evonne Renee
P.S.: Matthew 6: 12 ...and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. God's mercy, grace, and forgiveness is sweet! I can't neglect to mention that.