LENT Day 18

Lent Devotional

Day 18 - Tuesday, March 10, 2026

"When Shame Makes You Want To Hide"

Author: Ethan Neufeld

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Scripture: Genesis 3:8 & Romans 8:1

“And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees.” Genesis 3:8

It is a natural reaction to flee or cover up sudden situations that turn up in our daily life to protect our reputation but as God’s children, we are not called to feed this habit and make it our first line of defense. Rather, we must train ourselves to be quick to confess our sins to God to better deny the habit that eventually leads to our destruction (Galatians 6:8). The Apostle John gives us confidence to not fear going to God with anything, in fact, he assures us that Jesus, the Son of the Living God and the human embodiment of God’s perfect love, is “faithful and just to forgive us our sins…” (1 John 3:9).

However, we cannot misinterpret this verse as an excuse to take advantage ofGod’s forgiving nature and care for us. In Genesis 3:8, we see how God’s movement through the garden can be viewed as a portrayal of the fear of what our sins being exposed looks and feels like in our lives as judgement over actions inevitably gets closer and closer to us. The truth will come out no matter how soon or long it takes for itto be made known (Luke 12:2).

“There is, therefore now, no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:1

Our faith in Jesus in believing who he says he is, the Savior of the world and the means of our salvation by being the bridge between us and God, gives us the hope we need for living a life with and for God. We are not free to do whatever we want because Jesus changed the way we worship and encounter God but rather made all the more significant for our faith because he fulfilled it himself (Matthew 5:17-19). God chose his very Son to go in our place so that our lives, literally anyone, can have a relationship with God and share the gift of the Holy Spirit with others. This was the plan. That the separation of sin between us and God would no longer limit us from receiving God’s grace and mercy for our lives but by true faith alone in Jesus (Ephesians 2:8-9). No more being too afraid to admit our sins to God. No more hiding. This mission was made for everyone.

God truly wants us all to be set free of our sins because our chance of redemption means more to Him than the weight of them and what we have done. Living a life dedicated to the Lord has always been a part of our original design so as much as we are used to hiding from the truth and the consequences that may follow, life and forgiveness wait even more because of the sacrifice of Jesus and the heart God has for those who want to know Him.