God's response to the man's admission is a question that moves from location to action: 'Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?' God already knows the answer — but the question traces the man's shame back to its source. The shame did not come from God's design; it came from a broken command. God is identifying the wound's origin, not deepening it. This diagnostic approach — tracing a present condition back to its cause — reflects a consistent character of God throughout Scripture. Hosea 2:14 pictures God alluring his people back to the place of origin to speak tenderly, and in John 5:14, Jesus asks a healed man whether he wants to get well. The application for today: rather than managing the symptoms of shame, anxiety, or self-concealment in your life, ask God to show you their origin. What specific broken trust or transgression is at the root of what you are carrying?

COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS

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