Acceptable to God
In His Presence: “Abel . . . brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and for his offering; but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard” (Genesis 4:4-5).
As consumers, we have little interest in leftovers. We don’t like to spend our money on flawed products. When we pay for an item or a service, we feel that it should be the best that company has to offer. This is true of God, but to an even greater extent.
Adam and Eve taught their sons Cain and Abel how to worship God in an acceptable manner. Yet when it came time to do this, the quality of Cain’s offering was not pleasing, and it was not given with the same passion as Abel’s. God does not have favorites. He did not choose one over the other because He liked one brother better than the next.
Abel simply understood the principle of worship and offered God the very best that he had. Cain, on the other hand, offered what he could gather quickly—an apple from here, a pear from there, and a clump of grapes. It is also interesting to note that Cain’s life is one that was filled with a desire and passion for what God had cursed in the garden at the fall of mankind—the land. Abel offered God the very best of His flocks—the fattest lambs—because he understood that worship came from a heart of love and devotion.
This concept is not just about giving money to the Lord on Sunday. He established guidelines for our giving in order for us to remember that He is the One who enables us to make a living. More importantly, it is about how we live our lives. Are we totally committed to the Savior? Do we love Him and want to worship Him on a regular basis? Or do we just pray when we have a need of Him and go to His house when it is convenient? Those who worship out of convenience have hearts that contain a character flaw—a bent toward Cain’s nature.
This does not have to be true of your life. Ask God to show you any area where you are not fully devoted to Him. Remember, worship is something we do with our entire life.
One Minute Please
A character flaw always leads to a content flaw.
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