Vol 2 No 3 THEO'S DEVOS
Genesis 4:2b-5 Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. 3In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. 4But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.
How do you know when you are doing God's will, God's way. Someone has said that you can only know that in retrospect and that, for now, you have to do what you believe God wants you to do and know that He will give you course corrections along the way.
Our verses today are very interesting in what they say and what they do not say. We know that both Cain and Abel wanted to please God. There is no indication to suggest that they didn't. We also know that God was looking way down the road when He reacted to the boys offerings. He knew that forgiveness of sin would require a blood sacrifice. God was guiding in this direction from the very beginning. It also appears as though these two brothers did not know, at first, what God wanted or how to go about it. It is interesting to note that they knew they should do something. How they knew I will let to other, more studied than myself. However we see that Abel presented what God was looking for and Cain did not. At that point, Cain wasn't in any trouble with God. He merely had to adjust his thinking and give to God the proper offering.
Think about your life for a minute. Do you do everything, everyday as God wants you to. And even if you do, how do you know? I won't, for a minute, think that you don't want to do God's will, only that it can, sometimes be difficult to discern. And when something you have done goes wrong, how do you react. We are told the Cain wasn't happy with God's reaction and that his, Cain's reaction, took him further away from God. This can happen to us as well. If, however, we understand that all that we do is under the guidance of God and that, even when we make mistakes, God can use them for our growth, it makes life easier to live. Sometimes we can't seem to cope with adverse situations. We can get mad.
When we do, we are really getting mad at God who is sovereign and in control of our lives. One look at the story of Job will tell you that.
Oftentimes, when things go wrong, it is an opportunity for us to do some soul searching and look to see what God is trying to tell us. Had Cain done that, he would have moved into God's favor. When we do it allows God to bless us and turn things around. I know that there is no guarantee that everything will work out the way we plan but I do know that it will work out the way God plans and that should be enough for people of faith..
What happens when we react wrongly to God's leading. To tell you the truth, I have no idea but I do know that the result can be everything from some minor inconvenience to something dire indeed. How bad can things get? Well follow up our verses (you will be doing that in the Bible study that follows if you go that far) we see that Cain went so far as to commit the first murder. Why? Because he reacted poorly to God's leading. He couldn't accept that Able would find favor with God and that he didn't.
Life can spiral out of control and things can go from bad to worse quickly. The only sure way to stop that from happening is to stay close to God. Read His word and fill your mind with His thoughts. In that way you can be sure to get as close to following God and His will as possible.
I am praying that you will do this. I am praying that God will make His will obvious to you and that you will react correctly no matter what happens. If you do, God will guide you and help you avoid some serious pitfalls in life.
May you receive a blessing from God today.
Theo
Dear Small Group Leader (or soon to be Facilitator)
Please allow everyone in your group to answer the Quick Question. It will get things started on the right foot, encouraging quieter ones to open up. Please do not require everyone to answer every question. They may not be ready to share yet. Also please allow at least 5-10 minutes at the end of your study so as many as would like to can respond to the REFLECTION question. This may be the most important time in your small group study. Thank You
SMALL GROUP BIBLE STUDY
Please Read: 4:1-26
QUICK QUESTION: What do you think is the worst sin a person can commit and why?
What sins does this pasasge of scripture tell us were committed?
What do you think was the difference between Abel and Cain's offering?
How did God react to the offerings of these brothers and what did He tell Cain? Why do you think He told him that?
What was Cain's reaction to God?
What was Cain's punishment?
REFLECTION: What should your response be when God seems to indicate that something you have done or some direction in which you are headed is wrong? If there is some indication that God is leading you right now, what can this group do to help?
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