Genesis 3:8
“And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.”
God told Adam and Eve that they could have anything in the Garden but the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. You would think that if they could have anything in the whole world that one tree would never tempt them. Yet, Satan made it seem to Eve that God was keeping them from truly enjoying life. Satan, as he always does, changed the perception by telling Eve that they could know good and evil if they would just eat of the tree. He was simply telling her that life would become more enjoyable if she would simply eat of that tree. We know the story well, she took of the fruit, ate of the tree and gave some to Adam who also ate of the forbidden fruit.
What is missed in this story is the verse above. It says, “And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day…” The “cool of the day” is the part of the morning right before the sun comes up. You will always notice that the temperatures drop just a bit before the sun starts to rise. This is why it is called the “cool of the day.”
What’s interesting is that they had all night to think about what they did. We find that the day after sin was committed we see the shame and regret that came from it. If sin was so right, and if sin was so fun, then why were they hiding in shame when God came to talk to them in the morning? What Satan didn’t tell Adam and Eve was how they would have to deal with shame and regret all night and into the next day. He never told them they would feel so bad that they would not want to talk to God because of their shame. Sin caused them to hide from the very Person to Whom they should have run. Sin never told them about the day after.
It is still the same today. Sin promises fun and excitement, but it never tells a person what the day after will be like. Sin never tells you that the day after you will feel so guilty you won’t want to even talk to God in prayer. Sin never tells you that shame will grip your mind the day after. Sin never tells you that what was fun will be despised the day after. Sin never tells you about the day after, it only tells you about the fun you will have at the moment. Sin will only tell you about the self-gratification that it will immediately give, but it will never tell you about the day after.
Christian, there is always a day after when it comes to sin. The day after for Samson saw him grinding in the mill. The day after for Amnon finds him forcing his sister out, the one whom he said he dearly wanted. The day after found Peter in regret as he heard the cock crow. The day after found Judas Iscariot finding a tree to hang himself upon because of the guilt in his heart. The day after found David regretting his adulterous affair with Bathsheba. We could go on for pages to tell how the day after was always filled with shame.
Likewise, the day after your sin will be just as shameful. Don’t you think for a minute that you won’t feel the shame and guilt of sin the day after, because everyone who has a conscious feels horrible the day after sin. Sin may sound enjoyable, but the day after will be filled with regret. It will be filled with the thought of what could have been.
If you are living in the day after, then let me assure you that God still wants to forgive you of your sin. God sought Adam and Eve out and provided a way for them to have fellowship restored. If you want that horrible feeling that sin has left to be taken away, then you must accept God’s provided way out to restore fellowship with Him again. That provided way is to confess and forsake your sin. Don’t let the guilt and shame cause you to hide from God. Then, never forget the feeling that the day after left with you and avoid sin at all cost.