Listen to Audio Devotion
Genesis 4:7 NIV
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 rule over it.”
The Background of this text is that Cain and Abel brought their offerings to God and God accepts Abel’s offerings but rejects Cain’s offerings. God rejected Cain’s offerings this was because he gave his offerings just as a duty but Abel went out of his way to please God with his offerings by giving the best of his flock and also giving by faith.
Cain just did it for the sake of doing it, not out of faith or reverence for God.
God accepts Abel’s offering but rejects Cain’s offering
What’s surprising is Cain’s reaction to this. Instead of fixing his actions, he reacts more violently by Killing his brother.
Here’s where you have to stop and ask why? Why did he do that?
He Killed his brother out of Anger & Jealousy.
Before this incident happened, God speaks to Cain and reminds him that he must do what is right. This means Cain had an opportunity to fix his mistake. However he did not, he chose to act out of Anger & Jealousy.
There’s something about Jealousy that we must be aware of.
When Jealousy and Anger fill our hearts. We become a good ground for the enemy to work. It is as though, we submit ourselves over to the enemy so that he can do whatever he wants
God tells Cain, If you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door, it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.
This means, If we do not deal with issues of jealousy and anger, we will be ruled, led, and dominated by Sin.
As a result, we may end up doing things that displease God.
We look at Cain’s life, he destroyed his brother.
So, here’s why we must avoid jealousy
When Jealousy makes its way into our lives, it becomes easy for the enemy to control us and do the evil that he desires to do through us.
Let’s Pray
Father, There are times when jealousy fills our hearts, times when we are overtaken by anger but we are not aware because it seems natural to feel that way, but today we have learned that jealousy makes room for the enemy to operate & control us. So, Lord, Help us to avoid Jealousy and anger that we make be under your guidance and control for the rest of our lives, in Jesus’ name.
