Day One: Abel – Doing the Lord’s Will
Today’s Reading: Hebrews 11: 4; Genesis 4:1-16
Introduction: The event we’re reading about today occurred before Israel came into existence. Cain and Abel didn’t have the Law of Moses to help them know which offering was appropriate for this situation. We do know both of these offerings were acceptable in the sacrificial system that God gave to Israel. So, Cain’s offering was probably a valid offering under the right circumstances. The question almost everyone asks, then, is why did God accept Abel’s offering and reject Cain’s? We don’t know how people understood which offerings they were supposed to make to God before He gave Moses the book of the Law, but they knew. The writer to the Hebrews tells us how they knew. They knew by faith. Abel knew by faith what kind of offering God would accept at that time. Since we don’t have any evidence that God spoke verbally in this instance, we must believe that God communicated this without using words. In other words, God revealed to these men what was an appropriate offering for that time. Abel knew without any doubt what God wanted. Cain did also. The difference is that Abel did what God had convinced him he needed to do and Cain decided to do what he wanted to do. The result was inevitable. God accepted Abel’s offering because it was made according to His will and He rejected Cain’s offering because it was not.
Application: God is not trying to hide His will from us. He wants us to know what He is calling us to do. God doesn’t want us to fail at His will; He wants us to succeed. Today, it’s a little easier than it was for Cain and Abel. We have God’s revealed will, the Bible. If we are trying to decide what God wants us to do, our first question should be, what does the Bible have to say about it? God will never lead us to do something that contradicts the Bible. At times, though, we can find ourselves like Cain and Abel. The Bible doesn’t address every situation, either by direct statement or by principle. Life is too complex for that. For those other times, He has put His Holy Spirit in us to help us know. This requires what Abel had, a close walk with God. When we need to hear from the Spirit of God, we better make sure we’re walking closely enough with God to hear Him speak into our hearts and minds. We better also make sure we don’t fall into Cain’s trap of pride and ego. We must have our pride and ego turned off so we’re willing to do what God says to do. If we can’t figure it out, it’s not God’s fault. We must learn to hear the voice of God and commit to do what He says.
Prayer: Dear Lord, I’m glad You want me to know Your will for my life. I want to do Your will. Please help me submit my life to the teaching of Your word. Help me open my heart and mind to You so that when You speak, I know what Your will is. Help me put away pride and ego so I will do as You say. Your will be done, on earth, and in my life, as it is in heaven. Amen.