And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” Genesis 3:11 (Passage Genesis 3:1-11)

Adam and Eve had been blissfully unaware of their nakedness, until they defied God by eating the forbidden fruit. When they became conscience of their nudity, they hid from the Lord God in shame.  The craftiness and lies of the serpent enticed them, and his criticizing voice echoed in their ears.

Then God asked them, “Who told you…?” The original Hebrew word for “told” is nagad (Strong’s 5046), meaning expose, explain, make known.  The New Oxford American Dictionary defines naked as “without covering, unprotected, vulnerable.” When God asked Adam and Eve “Who told you that you were naked?”, in essence He was asking “Who exposed you? Who made known to you that you were naked. Who made you feel vulnerable?”

Today, the serpent – Satan – is still active. He uses his voice of condemnation to hold me back. He whispers lies…

“You can’t write! Who do you think you are? No one wants to read about an ordinary life!”

For a time, I listen to those hisses. The whispers expose all my fears, making me feel defenseless. They hold me captive and immobilize me. Deep down inside, there is a terror of baring myself.

The soft hissssss says “You’re not good enough. You’re naked and exposed before the world.”

The hiss uncovers the insecurities of my very soul.

When I began this blogging journey, my small doubts became mountains.  I knew that I would be uncovering my life for the world (or at least a small following) to see.  My feelings, my faults, my imperfections would be revealed. I would be unprotected.

The hiss persisted:

“Why are you writing? No one cares to read your silly stories!”

I began to question myself: Can I do it? Can I lay myself open and bare before the world?

Satan uses my insecurities to hold me captive to my fears. I want to hide, I don’t want to open myself up to others. The fears hold me back from service and obedience to God. I don’t step out of my comfort zone.

I hear the hisses of Satan. But then I quiet myself, and immerse myself in His Word. I hear a different whisper. I hear the voice of the Savior saying “You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you (Philippians 4:13)” and “Tell your children about it in the years to come, and let your children tell their children. Pass the story down from generation to generation (Joel 1:3).”

I hear Him asking ever so gently, “Who told you that you couldn’t write?”

And I ask myself, “Why not me? Why not my stories?”

I have dreams, and I have Christ in me. I know the truth of Scripture, that He who began a good work in me will carry it on to completion (Phil. 1:6). I am not naked and exposed, I am wrapped in His robe of righteousness (Is. 61:10).

Who told you that you couldn’t have God-sized dreams?