This morning while drinking a cappuccino and reading the Word the Lord once again reminded me that my walk with Him is about the posture of my heart...
The Lord's dealing with us has always been about out heart issues... sin is in our nature. Both Cain and Abel brought sacrifices, they both gave, but Abel gave in faith and Cain did not. Though God did not accept Cain's sacrifice he didn't leave it at that, He pursued Cain after "his face fell". In Genesis 4:5-7 "The Lord said, 'Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. It's desire is for you, but you must rule over it." God didn't just leave Cain to his own destruction without warning him. The Lord loves us so much that He warns us in His Word and He gave us His Holy Spirit to guide us from evil and into righteousness but we have to choose to obey. We have free will: it is our choices that lead us closer to or further from our Heavenly Father.
This reminds me of how some close friends of mine are raising their boys. Since they were each around eighteen months old, when one of the boys begins to make a wrong choice he is asked to choose to obey. These parents are ensuring that their boys understand that punishment and praise are direct results of their own choices. That's what the Lord was saying to Cain in verse seven, "If you do well, will you not be accepted?" We have a choice to do well... to obey the Lord and His Word.. there is no middle ground... the choice is ours. Be encouraged brothers and sisters. The Lord looks at our hearts not our track records or ability to do good... we all have a sin nature... our natural hearts are corrupt and full of evil but when we call on Christ to be our Savior and Lord He becomes our strength and righteousness and He changes our nature. In Him alone we are able to give our lives as a living sacrifice to God the Father.
It's up to you.. so choose today who you will serve:
“Now therefore fear the LORD and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away
the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. And if it is evil in your eyes to
serve the LORD, choose this day whom you
will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the
River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and
my house, we will serve the LORD.” Joshua 24:14-15
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