Day 3

Genesis 4: 1-15

Ahhh the story of Cain and Able. A tale of two brothers, jealousy, and murder. It’s crazy and scary to me what jealousy can lead us to do. When I think of this story it seems like Cain is this mad, crazy, murder, but when I think about this verse and read it how many times have I sinned in my own jealousy…not murder but definitely gossip, bitterness, anger, self pity, etc. I see that God gave both men jobs to do and provided for their every need, but when it came time to give back to God, God chose to approve the sacrifice that was given with a pure heart; the best of the best, Able trusted God with his best and didn’t just offer generic produce, his scraps, or the over pouring of this crops. God told Cain to stop sulking, to offer up his best as well and to do well and his sacrifice too would be accepted. God knew Cain had killed Able and still asked him where Able was. Cain lied to God, God punished Cain for committing murder and when Cain asked to be killed God wouldn’t allow it because he wanted Cain to have to work and slave instead of dying…which to me is much worse than dying!

This applies to my life because I find myself being Cain so often. I look at my life, my abilities, my finances, people, my efforts and I give things to the Lord, I surrender them to Him but sometimes with wrong motives, sometime with a spirit of speculation, inadequacy, comparison and often I don’t give Him my all. I come to God to surrender things in my life to give back to Him because He has given me so much and I don’t give him 100%. It’s because I don’t trust Him with those things. Even when I know I need to give him ALL I come with my leftovers, I come with 40% and not 100% of what He has given me and why? Because I don’t trust Him with my best, with my 100% even though He has given me everything I need, provided my every need, I still have this sense that maybe I can be in control of what He has given me…..how selfish! Then I let jealousy creep in and hinder and destroy relationships with other people who are seeking the Lord. I see them giving their all to the Lord and even though I know I am only giving some…I find myself bitter and angry and jealous against them for what the Lord has given them. Majority of us wouldn’t dare think to murder our family member, friend, or loved one because of comparison and jealousy but we all definitely at some point have sinned against them in some way because of it.

Oh God make our hearts like yours, make my heart like yours! Allow us to first of all bring our best, bring our all, bring 100% to you, and surrender to you with trust, with no reservations, with no turning back. Allow us to celebrate when other surrender their all to you, to celebrate what others have and how you have made them rather than compare, speculate, become bitter and angry and jealous over them! God you have given me this heart but so often my heart is filled with such hardness, such sin. Give me a new heart, a new mind, and a life that is willing to surrender my ALL to you!!