More Than Medicine
More Than Medicine
DWDP: Gen 3-8 "Adam, Where Are You?"
Have you ever found yourself hiding from God? That's exactly what we explore in this intimate devotional reflection on Genesis 3:8, where Adam and Eve hide among the garden trees after their disobedience.
Dr. Robert Jackson (affectionately known as "Dr. Papa") takes us on a heartfelt journey through the garden of Eden, examining that pivotal moment when the sweet fellowship between Creator and created was fractured by sin. Through beautiful reflections on the hymn "I Come to the Garden Alone" and thoughtful biblical exposition, we discover how the voice of God—once a source of delight—became something Adam and Eve feared.
This pattern of hiding continues today. Dr. Papa shares touching observations from his medical practice, noting how some patients react when offered a Bible—"as if handed a snake or hot coals." Many of us hide from God's presence in our work, hobbies, entertainment, and daily activities, foolishly believing we can escape His all-seeing gaze.
Yet hope remains in this garden story. As Dr. Papa explains, God continues calling us throughout our lives—in youth, marriage, parenthood, illness, success, and aging. Each call represents an opportunity to step out from hiding and experience what he beautifully terms "the great exchange," where Jesus takes our sin and offers His perfect righteousness.
The question that echoes from Eden to our hearts today remains: "Where are you in relation to God?" Will you continue hiding, or will you answer His persistent call? Join us in this soul-stirring devotional that bridges ancient Scripture with our modern tendency to hide from divine presence.
Follow Devotions with Dr. Papa and discover more resources from Jackson Family Ministry at jacksonfamilyministry.com. Your spiritual journey doesn't have to be walked alone—step out from hiding and join our community of seekers.
https://www.jacksonfamilyministry.com
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Welcome to More Than Medicine, where Jesus is more than enough for the ills that plague our culture and our country. Hosted by author and physician, Dr Robert Jackson. Papa, can you tell me a story?
Dr. Robert Jackson:Do you really want me to tell you a story? Well, you go, get your brother and your sisters and I will tell you a story. Well, you go, get your brother and your sisters and I will tell you a story. Welcome to Devotions with Dr Papa. I'm your host.
Dr. Robert Jackson:Dr Robert Jackson, gather around, grab your Bibles and let's look into the written word, which reveals to us the living word, which reveals to us the living Word which is our Lord Jesus Christ. Today. We are now in Genesis, chapter 3 and verse 8. Let me read that for us today Genesis, chapter 3 and verse 8. 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 of the garden. One of my favorite songs is I Come to the Garden Alone, which goes like this I come to the garden alone, while the dew is still on the roses and the voice I hear falling on my ear the Son of God discloses. Listen to Alan Jackson singing the first verse and the chorus.
Speaker 1:I come to the garden alone, while the dew is still on the roses and the voice I hear Falling on my ear, the Son of God discloses and he walks with me and he talks with me and he tells me I am his own and the joy we share as we tarry there, none other has ever known, has ever known.
Dr. Robert Jackson:Now, isn't that one of the sweetest songs you've ever heard? I just love hearing that song sung and I love singing it myself. I try to imagine how sweet and pleasant the fellowship with God the Father must have been before Adam and Eve sinned To be able to walk with God in perfect harmony, without any sin barrier, to know Him without sin's disruption, without sin's disrupting influence, to be able to walk and talk hand in hand with one's creator, to love and be loved without any interference or friction. What must that have been like? I imagine it was heaven on earth. Now, verse 8 tells us they heard the sound, the voice of the Lord God. Now, was he speaking? Was he singing? Was he humming? What did they actually hear?
Dr. Robert Jackson:Now, we know from the prophets experience in the Old Testament that the voice of God was not in the whirlwind, nor was it in the fire, but it was a still small voice. Whatever they heard, it was the Word of God, it was the voice of God and it frightened them. For the very first time, the Word of God brought fear into the heart of man, into the hearts of Adam and Eve. Why? Well, you know they had sinned against God. How many times have your children, hidden from you in a closet with a bag of cookies or a bag of chips, knowing they had done wrong? How many times has your guilty conscience wished that you could hide from God? But can we really hide from him? To hide from him, from whose eyes all things are open and laid bare? We know that Jonah couldn't flee from God. Jonah couldn't hide from God and neither could Adam and Eve.
Dr. Robert Jackson:Even lost people today try to hide themselves from the voice of God, from the Word of God. They refuse to listen to gospel preaching in churches or on the radio or on TV. Preaching in churches or on the radio or on TV? Listen. I often will give a little small Bible to my patients who are lost and I'll ask them to read a portion of it before they come back to see me at their next visit. And when I hand them that Bible you would think I was handing them a snake or hot coals, because they often refuse to even put it into their hands. And if they take it the next time I see them I will say have you read that portion of scripture? And they'll just look at me as if I have two heads. And of course they haven't read it because they're afraid. They're afraid of the voice of God, they're afraid of the Word of God. They actually are fearful of coming into a church service or coming into contact with the Word of God. Now, why is that? It's the same as Adam and Eve they fear the sound of the Lord, god. And for the very same reason that Adam and Eve hid themselves it's because there's sin in their life that they don't want to be exposed in the presence of Holy God. So they hide in their workplace, they hide in their hobbies, they hide in their family activities, they hide in their entertainment and they pretend God can't see them Hiding in the bushes, like Adam and Eve.
Dr. Robert Jackson:But get this there was someone else in the garden beside Adam and Eve. There was someone in the garden beside Lucifer. There was someone in the garden besides God, and that someone was their guilty conscience, and their guilty conscience was convicting them, speaking to them. But here's the thing there was hope for Adam and Eve because they were listening to their conscience. As long as people are responsive to their conscience, there's always hope for them.
Dr. Robert Jackson:The ones that I worry about are the ones who have a calloused, insensitive conscience, those who no longer listen to their conscience. If their conscience is calloused and seared as with a hot iron, there's no remedy, there's no hope for them, and you and I all know people whose conscience is no longer sensitive, no longer responsive, and they sin with brazenness, not caring what God thinks of them, not caring what other people think of their sin, and for them there is no hope. God called to Adam and Eve and I want you to know that God is always calling sinners. The Bible says seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near. I want you to know that God calls us many times in our lives. He calls to us when we are young and healthy and full of ourselves, reminding us that it is he who gives us life and strength. God calls us when we marry, reminding us that marriage is a picture of that mystical union between Jesus and His church. God calls us when our children are born, reminding us that those precious children are fearfully and wonderfully made and our soul knows it very well. God calls us when our children are nearly injured, and perhaps seriously so, and we know that His angels are watching over our little ones. God calls us when you and I face serious illness later in life and we realize that Jehovah Rapha, the Lord who heals, is the Lord that heals us. God calls you when, later in life, you look at your retirement account and your paid off mortgage and you remember that it is the Lord who gives you the power to make wealth. And God calls you and me later in life, when we're old and feeble and we realize that our years on this earth are nearly done and we understand that life is but a vapor. And God calls us and reminds us that our life does not consist in the abundance of one's possessions, but life, and life eternal is in knowing God's Son and knowing Him aright.
Dr. Robert Jackson:But here's the question. The question is will you come out of hiding, confessing your sin and receiving the Son, our Savior, as your only hope, or will you continue to fear the voice of God, continuing to hide? God calls each of us personally, asking where are you? Where are you today in relation to God, the Father? Are you hiding and pretending he doesn't know, you, doesn't see you, pretending he doesn't exist? You know that's foolishness that won't last long.
Dr. Robert Jackson:There is a day of accountability. The Bible says it is appointed unto man once to die, and then comes the judgment, we all will face the judge of all the earth and give account of ourselves to him. You cannot hide forever. When that day comes, the last thing you want to do is stand before holy God clothed in your own righteousness, which amounts to nothing more than filthy rags, amounts to nothing more than filthy rags. Here's what you really want. What you really want is the great exchange when Jesus takes your sin upon himself and gives you his righteousness as a free gift. Then, and only then, can you stand before God clothed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ, wearing a snow-white robe of His righteousness. For you see, the Bible says that God made Him, who knew no sin, to be sin on our behalf, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. That is the great exchange. How does that happen? It happens by confessing your sin and receiving Him as your only Savior and the true King of your life. Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God and he will lift you up. Next week, we'll talk about Adam's response when God asked where are you? But today, my concern is where are you, dear listener, in relationship to God, the Father? He calls us often in the course of our life. Will you answer Him when he calls Follow, like or share or download. If you like what you hear, please tell your friends and neighbors about Devotions with Dr Papa.
Dr. Robert Jackson:I would like to remind you that Jackson Family Ministry has multiple books that we offer. My first book was the Family Doctor Speaks the Truth About Life, which is a book, a pro-life book. My second book is the Family Doctor Speaks the Truth About Seed Planting, equipping Believers for Evangelism, which, of course, is an evangelism book. The third book is the Family Doctor Speaks Turkey Tales and Bible Truths, a book about turkey.
Dr. Robert Jackson:Hunting and deer hunting, but each story immediately segues into Bible teaching hunting, but each story immediately segues into Bible teaching. And then my fourth book is on Laughter, silvered Wings, which is a biography about my father, who was a family doctor, a Vietnam War veteran and a social activist and, of course, a really good dad, and I think many of you would really like that book, which was published earlier this year. All right, All of those books can be found at Amazon or at Jackson Family Ministry. The first book, the pro-life book, is at Zulon Press. You're listening to Devotions with Dr Papa. I'm your host, dr Robert Jackson. I thank you for listening and I pray that the Lord will bless you real good. We'll be back again next week.
Speaker 1:Thank you for listening to this edition of More Than Medicine. For more information about the Jackson Family Ministry, dr Jackson's books, or to schedule a speaking engagement, go to their Facebook page, instagram or their webpage at jacksonfamilyministrycom. This podcast is produced by Bob Slone Audio Production at bobslone. com.
