The flames licked up the little felt fig leaves we placed upon the bonfire altar the last night of our women’s gathering. Each of the retreat women had written upon their personal felt fig leaf what they wished to have the Lord consume.

Eve, being ashamed and full of guilt, dressed herself in fig leaves because she knew she was incomplete and separated from God. When God asked, “…Where are you?” He knew exactly where she was and why she needed covering. She’d failed to remember that, before the fall, she’d been covered and safe in Father’s perfect plan.

Fig leaves separate. We cover what we consider to be our blemishes, our failings, our weaknesses, because we deem ourselves lacking. Jesus said, “In your weakness, I am made strong”…but do we believe it? Our attempts to cover ourselves separate.

Truth is: we do need covering. God knew that and made the way for us to be covered, once and for all, by the matchless blood shed by Jesus. No more animals to be slaughtered and sacrificed. Though we are now eternally covered, still we tend to remain sin-conscious–thereby wearing fig leaves.

Hiding is the hallmark of the human will in a struggle against God. We run away from Him. We hide from those He’s anointed to help us; and we deceive ourselves into believing that we are safe tucked away in our self-made hiding places.

Jesus’ teaching on the Beatitudes began with the foremost posture for us to experience blissful hope: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.” [Matthew 5:3] In other words, blessed are those who know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they need Him ~ and we need His ministers, through His power, to bring healing to us.

The main table in our meeting room displayed three 14″ letters: E.V.E. They were placed amidst green leaves, as if they were hiding. At the end of the service, we heard a noise like a thud. We turned to look ~ one of the letters had fallen over, broken. It was the “E.” Two points were now missing, creating the letter “L.” [LOVE] To us this meant God’s angel tipped it over in order to say: “You are LOVED! The curse of Eve has been broken off of you! Come out of hiding!”

“Our God is a consuming fire!” [Deuteronomy 4:24]