Genesis 4:4-8; Then the Lord said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 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."
True worship starts on the inside then it becomes an out-ward expression!
Cain was looking for a blessing from the Lord. The Lord looked at Abel's offering with favor instead of Cain's. This made Cain very angry. When God asked him," Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast?" He was giving Cain a chance to self reflect. What is it in your life that you are angry about? What are you disappointed about in your life? What is it that you are hanging on to and can't let go? Maybe God is giving you a chance to self reflect. By hanging on to it, sin comes and crouches at your door! Do we realize how close that is? At our door, it is just about to come in our lives, in our homes. Sometimes I can't catch my breath during the day, it is almost as if I can't breath. It happens mostly in the afternoon when my girls get home from school. I feel like there are not enough hours in the day to accomplish all that is on my plate. The girls come in and they are wide open with friends etc. Having a 15 year is like having a wild horse that you are trying to break. Several times I have sat down and cried and said " I can't do this anymore." My face shows exactly what I am feeling. And to top it off I have these two lines right on the top of my forehead, between my eyes that look like the number 11.
One of my daughters said it well today; she looked at me as I was throwing dinner together as fast as I could; "mom where is your joy? can't you at least smile?" What does your face say about you? God will speak to you, mostly through his word but he can speak even through a child. I thought maybe God was giving me a second chance. A time to self reflect.
Abel gave God the first fruits of his labor. His genuine desire of his heart was to give a blessings back to God. That's the kind of sacrifice God is looking for. Abel desired nothing in return! Cain didn't give from his heart. He missed the whole point of what God really wanted from him. It was not the actual offering itself. It was his motive, his attitude. In other words God is more concerned about the WHY we do something rather than the WHAT we give or do! Abel was prompted out of FAITH to give the sacrifice that he gave to God. Cain had other motives. What is your motive when you sacrifice for God? Do you desire a blessing in return? Or is your motive one where you truly hope that it blesses God, or gives God true delight and joy?
God is not looking for those who are doing religious activities, those are only outward expressions that cannot be used as a substitute of coming to the foot of the blood stained cross with brokenness and a contrite heart!!!! God wants to see us give from the heart!!! Do we trust Him enough to give Him our all?
When we learn the characteristics of God there will be no confusion. He will be more than enough. He will be all we need. It will not matter what could happen to us in this fallen world. We could be left with nothing as long as we had our FAITH which would demonstrate that we know who our comforter is. This also would demonstrate before God that HE is all we need. HE is more than enough. This is where we begin to understand what spiritual act of worship is really means!
What is God asking of you to do to demonstrate your Faith? He is looking to and fro for someone with Faith and Trust that know He is all they need; that He is more than enough.........
Oh Father how I want you to be more than enough,
Robbie
