Thursday Reading: Genesis 4:1-7
Key Verse: Genesis 4:5
5 but He did not have respect to Cain and to his offering. And Cain glowed with anger, and his face fell.
Devotion:
We may well be talking the talk and walking a walk... but is it the walk that God requires of us? We can read so many passages from our bibles where we learn about people who wanted to do their own thing for God instead of doing what God wanted of them; so I picked the first occurrence of two people doing opposite things!
Cain and Abel must have known what was required of them, but because they were working different parts of the land they each did what was right in their own eyes. Abel’s actions were in line with what was required from God, but Cain’s action fell far short of those requirements. What Cain gave to God was a product of His own hands. Cain gave to God what he was able to make himself. Abel gave to God what God had created; he gave back the best that God had given to Him. The best that God can do and the best that we can do are very very different things.
If God was willing to give His best for us, then should we not be willing to follow Abel’s example and give back to God the best that He has given us? So what is the best that God has given us? Well, it used to be the best sheep and goats and bulls, but when Jesus came to earth that was a whole new level of giving. If He was then willing to give His own life for us, we should be willing to give our all back to Him. God has given us so much and continues to give us so many things in our lives; giving back to Him some of that best stuff should be as natural as giving a gift to yoru best friend.
Points to Ponder:
Do you like helping others?
What are you giving to Christ?