Week 1
Unless you are an only child, you have probably experienced sibling jealousy and rivalry. You
are not alone. The very first children to inhabit the earth experienced it. And if you think your
fights were bad, this one ended in one brother killing the other. Yes, God’s good creation was
broken again.
Cain and Able had both offered a sacrifice to God. The Bible does not explain why, but Cain’s offering was not acceptable to God, while Able’s offering was. Cain immediately becomes angry with Able, even though Able has not done anything against his brother. All he had done was offer an acceptable sacrifice. Cain continues to focus on his anger towards Able. God sees this growing in Cain and offers him a simple solution. He also gives Cain a warning if he continues to focus on the anger.
Cain and Able had both offered a sacrifice to God. The Bible does not explain why, but Cain’s offering was not acceptable to God, while Able’s offering was. Cain immediately becomes angry with Able, even though Able has not done anything against his brother. All he had done was offer an acceptable sacrifice. Cain continues to focus on his anger towards Able. God sees this growing in Cain and offers him a simple solution. He also gives Cain a warning if he continues to focus on the anger.
Genesis 4:6-7 (NIV)
[6] Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? [7] If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.”
[6] Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? [7] If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.”
God gives Cain the chance to offer the sacrifice again in the acceptable way, and it would be
accepted. God loved them both and wanted them both to find favor. But if Cain continued to
focus on his anger, it would consume him. And consume him it did. Cain kills Able and Cain
chooses to live in brokenness.
God’s advice for sibling rivalry is good advice for all of our relationships. When we are wronged (or we think we have been wronged), God invites us to do what is right – live in a way that he teaches us in the Bible and guides us through the Holy Spirit. If we focus on the anger, sin and brokenness will be the result. If we do not master it, it will master us.
Mastering sin is not just what we do, it is who we are. What I mean by that is, mastering sin is not a matter of our goodness and will power. It is the ability to live with God in such a way that he gives us the wisdom and strength to do what he calls us to do. Sin is drained of its strength, and we want to choose for God. And for those times when we turn from God in sin, his forgiveness is there to bring us back to him if we are willing to accept it.
Will we choose to live outside, focusing on our anger and remain in brokenness? Or will we accept the invitation, which is there for us again today, to walk into and live in the Father’s House?
Time of Prayer:
1) 1 min – What is God saying to me through this devotional?
2) 1 min – What am I going to do about it?
3) 1 min – What do I want to say to God?
4) 2 min – Listen for what God wants to say to you now.
God’s advice for sibling rivalry is good advice for all of our relationships. When we are wronged (or we think we have been wronged), God invites us to do what is right – live in a way that he teaches us in the Bible and guides us through the Holy Spirit. If we focus on the anger, sin and brokenness will be the result. If we do not master it, it will master us.
Mastering sin is not just what we do, it is who we are. What I mean by that is, mastering sin is not a matter of our goodness and will power. It is the ability to live with God in such a way that he gives us the wisdom and strength to do what he calls us to do. Sin is drained of its strength, and we want to choose for God. And for those times when we turn from God in sin, his forgiveness is there to bring us back to him if we are willing to accept it.
Will we choose to live outside, focusing on our anger and remain in brokenness? Or will we accept the invitation, which is there for us again today, to walk into and live in the Father’s House?
Time of Prayer:
1) 1 min – What is God saying to me through this devotional?
2) 1 min – What am I going to do about it?
3) 1 min – What do I want to say to God?
4) 2 min – Listen for what God wants to say to you now.