DAILY BREAD: DECEMBER 26, 2023 /Genesis 4:4 Improper Offerings

Hello, friends. Today I want to share with you a message from the book of Genesis, chapter 4, verse 4. This verse is part of the story of Cain and Abel, the first two sons of Adam and Eve. They both brought offerings to God, but God accepted Abel's offering and rejected Cain's. Why did this happen? What can we learn from this story?

The verse tells us that Abel brought the firstborn and the fat of his flock as an offering to God. This means that he gave God the best and the most valuable of what he had. He did not keep anything for himself, but he gave it all to God. He showed his love, gratitude, and reverence for God by giving him his best.

But Cain did not do the same. He brought some of the fruits of the ground, but not the first or the best. He gave God what was left over, what was easy, what was convenient. He did not show his love, gratitude, or reverence for God by giving him his best.

God saw the difference between Cain and Abel, and he was pleased with Abel and his offering, but not with Cain and his offering. God looks at our hearts, not at our outward appearance. He knows if we are sincere or not, if we are faithful or not, if we are generous or not. He knows if we give him our best or not.

Friends, how do we give to God? Do we give him our first and our fat, or do we give him our last and our thin? Do we give him our best, or do we give him our worst? Do we give him what he deserves, or do we give him what we don't need?

God has given us everything we have. He has given us life, breath, health, family, friends, talents, resources, and above all, his Son, Jesus Christ, who died for our sins and rose again to give us eternal life. He has given us his best, his first, his fat. He has given us his all.

What does this verse teach us about worship and giving?

First, it shows us that Abel had a heart of gratitude and reverence for God. He did not offer God the leftovers or the least of his flock, but the first and the best. He recognized that everything he had came from God, and he wanted to honor God with his offering.

Second, it shows us that God cares about the quality and the attitude of our offerings. God looked with favor on Abel and his offering, not because God needed anything from Abel, but because God saw Abel's faith and obedience. God was pleased with Abel's offering because it reflected Abel's love and trust in God.

Third, it shows us that worship and giving are not just rituals or obligations, but expressions of our relationship with God. Abel's offering was not just a gift, but a sacrifice. He gave up something valuable and precious to him, to show his devotion and commitment to God. He gave God his best, because God gave him his best.

How can we apply this verse to our lives today? How can we worship and give to God like Abel did? Here are some questions to reflect on:

What are the best portions of our lives that we can offer to God? How can we give God our time, talents, resources, and love?

What are the motives and the emotions behind our offerings? Do we give out of gratitude, joy, and faith, or out of guilt, fear, and duty?

How do our offerings demonstrate our relationship with God? Do we give God our best, or do we give God what is left over after we have taken care of our own needs and wants? 

How do we respond to his love and grace? Do we give him our love and grace? Do we give him our all? Do we worship him with our whole lives, or just with a part of them? Do we honor him with our whole hearts, or just with a part of them?

Let us follow the example of Abel, and not of Cain. Let us give God our first and our fat, our best and our most. Let us give God our worship, our praise, our thanks, our service, our obedience, our devotion, our commitment. Let us give God our all.
 
Let us pray:

Heavenly Father, thank you for giving us your best, your Son Jesus Christ, who died for our sins and rose again to give us eternal life. Help us to worship and give to you with grateful and faithful hearts, like Abel did. Help us to offer you the best portions of our lives, as a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.