RTW January 2
Do I Doubt It?
The Lord accepted Abel and his gift, but he did not accept Cain and his gift. This made Cain very angry, and he looked dejected.
Genesis 4:4b-5
My Takeaways
Something Old
What I offer God in doubt will not be accepted.
Something New
It was by faith that Abel brought a more acceptable offering to God than Cain did. Abel’s offering gave evidence that he was a righteous man, and God showed his approval of his gifts. Although Abel is long dead, he still speaks to us by his example of faith. (NIV) Hebrews 11:4
Pistis (pis’-tis) (peace-tis) Thayer
conviction of the truth of anything, belief;
- relating to God
the conviction that God exists and is the creator and ruler of all things, the provider and bestower of eternal salvation through Christ - relating to Christ
a strong and welcome conviction or belief that Jesus is the Messiah, through whom we obtain eternal salvation in the kingdom of God
As NT believers God asks one sacrifice:
And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. (NLT) Romans 12:1
Do I offer myself to God?
Do I doubt that He…
- Can make beauty from my ashes (Isaiah 61:3)?
- Remember my sin no more (Isaiah 43:25)?
- Is faithful to complete the good work He began in me (Philippians 1:6)?
- Will enable me to share in His divine nature (2 Peter 1:4)?
- Meet all my needs according to His riches (Philippians 4:19)?
Believing is seeing!
Something to Do
By faith, the conviction that God exists and is the creator and ruler of all things, the provider and bestower of eternal salvation through Christ, offer myself to God.
Wow – thank you Wendy. Where do I doubt God? Sometimes I think the more appropriate question is “where DON’T I doubt Him”? It’s crazy-I can be so filled with faith in certain instances and areas of my life and in others, so filled with doubt which causes me to try to take control of situations.
Today’s lesson is in line with my takeaway which comes from 6:6 – “It broke his heart”. How do I break God’s heart? By willfully sinning; by not seeking him and walking in fellowship with him as Noah did; by being disobedient; by not trusting him. And yet even while I am breaking his heart he still loves me extravagantly and chases after me!
One thing I noticed in 4:16 was that “Cain left the Lord’s presence”. The Lord never leaves us or forsake’s us. It’s my sin, my doubt that causes me to turn from him. He is always with me.
Something to do: praying for more faith. I believe Lord – help my unbelief.
Mary, I had the same thought. Where am I breaking God’s heart? It grieves me to think that I am and yet I know that I do everyday. Lord, show me where I am breaking your heart. I think in general it is when we don’t accept all that Jesus did for us–when we think there is something more that we have to do. It’s like God is saying, “don’t you understand, you don’t need to do anything special, I love you no matter what and I will never stop loving you.
Shirley
Romans 12:1
This is what I am doing by taking care of my health and my body by eating right and strengthening my body. It’s not just about weight loss, my pant size or how I look. I am offering my body (temple) as a sacrifice to God. He actually requires that of me. It’s not about me, it’s about Him.
It also jumped out at me the generational curse that began with Adam and Eve.
The Lord asked the same question of Cain that He asked his mother Eve,
“What have you done?”
Again, her son cursed and banished the same way Adam and Eve were.
But God still had compassion by marking Cain so he wouldn’t get killed even after He banished Him.
I noticed the question this time around too ?
Romans 12:1 also jumped out at me. Good reminder as many of us have health and fitness resolutions for the new year. Presenting our bodies as a sacrifice, as an act of worship should be our ultimate goal. Good health and fitness a great byproduct!
Wow. The whole part of your message about doubting God sure hit home with me today. I often get so filled with worry and anxiety, and then sometimes start wondering why God didn’t hear me or my prayers. It is definitely a goal of mine this year to trust God and stress less.
Do I doubt that He “takes delight in me and rejoices over me with singing” ? Zeph. 4:17
I love the new song that is out: “…you don’t make mistakes and you didn’t start with me…..”
“But Noah (Denise) found favor with the Lord”. AMAZING GRACE
My takeaway today was in the very last verse. Gen 6:22 – So Noah did everything exactly as God commanded him. What God was asking him probably sounded crazy and impossible but we don’t see Noah arguing with god or doubting. He just did it! What in my life do I need to stop fighting and worrying over and just do exactly what God has said to do trusting Him to make it happen.
Good morning ladies,
As I read the familiar scriptures today, I pondered what is new?
And God took my heart to the dimensions of the Ark, admittedly I have glossed over that in the past but this morning God reminded me that their are no limits to his protection! I don’t have to doubt!
Good point. I wrote God’s perfect Engineering next to 6:15 just like I did yesterday next to 2:6.
Loved your teaching Wendy! I saw today that God gives a promise and a warning as He often does, in verse 7. “You will be accepted if you do what is right” I always thought this meant I would be accepted by people well that sure isn’t true if we do what is Biblically right, it is rarely accepted by the world. But God promises to accept us if we do what is right. So my something to do is: Do what is right in God’s sight and leave the consequences to Him. Warning: Watch out! This is a good warning because doing right in God’s sight against the world is hard! I was up in the wee hours of this morning wrestling with hurt from not being invited to a party I struggled with how to retaliate “in a suitable way for a Chrisitian” lol. I cried and I cried out. He heard, He answered, I let go and I went back to sleep resting in the perfect peace of Christ. I know that we can conquer sin because God tells us to, and He never gives us something to do without also giving us the power to do it and sometimes I have to ask Him to give me the heart or the “want to’ and He does that too! What an Awesome God He is. Have a great day friends and when you doubt (cause we do) look up♡
Thank you, Cindy. I feel the same way so many times.
Carol, my sister He has got us! We just need to remember.
I was drawn to Genesis 7:1 where God tells Noah He has found Noah righteous in this generation. The generation was marked by every inclination of their hearts bent towards evil. Yet amid this Noah walked with God. The only way for anyone of us to have a righteous walk is if we too are walking with God with ifaith in Christ. This intense study of God through His Word allows that daily close walk. It is such s special blessing.
Two things stood out to me today:
1. Cain presented “some” but Abel presented “his best”. Am I presenting some or the best of what God has given me? Do I give my best to God? my family? my work? others in general? Do I give some of my love or my best? Am I holding anything back from God?
2. In Gen. 4:7 God warns us early on that sin is crouching at our door, eager to control us. Funny about sin, we think we’re in control; we’re making our own decisions-however it is sin that is controlling us. If it weren’t, we could easily turn away. But sin keeps us from turning away. It entices us with bodily pleasures. We say we can stop anytime we want to , but in reality we can’t. And once we suffer the consequences of our sin, we look to God and say “this punishment is too great”. How thankful I am that God has not banished me from his presence. So thankful that through Jesus, I can still approach God using Jesus’ righteousness. Praise God!!
Shirley
Something Old
Genesis 4:6, “Why are you so angry?” We each have ample opportunity to answer this for ourselves and I believe God asks us this same question. When wrongs befall us, when chastisement comes, when circumstances seem to turn against us….even when we mess up our own life…….how do we respond? Psalm 37:8 tells us, “refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret …..it leads only to evil.”
Something New
Genesis 6:8…..”But Noah……” Despite all that was going on around him….Noah found favor with the Lord. I want to respond in the right way.
Something To Do
Regarding Wendy’s Holy Spirit questions. The one that He has laid most heavily upon my heart is, “do I doubt that He can enable me to fully and genuinely forgive …..” This is much needed and I am struggling mightily with it.
Praying for you right now.
Genesis 4- verse 4-10 stopped me today because of how God used them as a God wink in my late husband’s life. Gabe grew up in a Jewish home – but every year of our 40 together he came to know more and more about Jesus and to believe in him. In 2012- he was diagnosed with advanced cancer-a bad situation made much worse by the fact that at the same time he was pushed out of the family business by a brother (and left with no income or medical insurance). On the day of his first radiation treatment- God granted him a God wink. When he was in the dressing room, there was a Bible-and it was opened to Genesis 4 and these verses were underlined.
Did it change his situation- not really- he was still very ill and dwindling finances were still a constant worry. But what it did was bolster his attitude. It said to him – God sees me. He knows every detail of my situation. I cannot trust it but I can trust him.
Good morning all. I’m new and feel blessed to be a part of this community.
Although my Bible says that it is a NLT version, I am finding my wording is a bit different (I’ll get that fixed) Anyway…what struck me is Genesis 6:9 “…He consistently followed God’s will and enjoyed a close relationship with him.”
I feel that I have a relationship with God but I do doubt (there’s that word again) how close of a relationship it is. I follow God but do I “consistently” follow God. I feel I need to work on my consistency.
Wendy’s “Do I believe…” statements really hit home for me also. I have more doubt than I thought.
Have a blessed day everyone!
Thanks so much Wendy for today’s lesson! It was really interesting and I learned a lot of new things. My something new- I didn’t realize that both Cain and Abel gave God two different kinds of gifts: a grain offering and a blood sacrifice offering. Thanks Wendy for the verse in Hebrews 11:4 that goes with today’s reading about Cain and Abel! My something to do- not to be in doubt and to offer God myself.
Chapter 6 verses 5 & 6 stood out to me in today’s readings: “Now the Lord observed the extent of the people’s wickedness, and he saw that all their thoughts were consistently and totally evil. So the Lord was sorry he had ever made them. It broke his heart.” I think it was this last sentence that really stood out to me – It broke his heart. God’s heart was broken over our behavior. I love realizing that God has this type of compassion and care for what we do. What we do matters to God! When we are obedient and faithful and loving, God rejoices! When we are not, it breaks his heart. It encourages me to know that God did not just create me and doesn’t really care whether I do well in this life – he is rooting for me! He wants me to run the race well and receive the prize!
I don’t doubt that God can use me but I guess I do doubt that He will use me. I have always been in a place of lack in my life. Now I do have my needs met, I have food,clothing and shelter. My food is sometimes leftovers days in a row but I am fed, my clothing mostly given to me or bought at second hand stores. My house is in need of repair with no money to do so. My carpets are so thin the concrete floor can be seen underneath, and the heat and air has not worked in years. But I am blessed because I do have shelter some do not. I was recently in Target with a gift card that was given to me I was looked upon as if I didn’t belong. My worn t-shirt and jeans that were thinning with holes( and not the cool kind either) But in all of this I truly am blessed. God has allowed me to study and learn His word like I never imagined! It’s hard to spread the news of God’s love and provision when people see that you have pretty much nothing. I’m looking forward to this study in the last two days I have learned many things that I did not know. God’s word is priceless!
I have been blessed with material things. Although very grateful for them, i don’t see where they are much of an advantage in my spiritual walk. At times they may even be a hindrance – – when they cause me to take my eyes off the true riches – – – those found in Christ.
Thank you! Your comment certainly makes me look from a different perspective! I am also currently doing First 5 in the book of Jeremiah, that too has been an eye opener…
Praying for you right now.
“Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time, Noah walked with God.”
Genesis 6:9b
When the Lord looked upon the face of the earth he was sorry he had man man on the earth.
But then he looked and found favor with Noah.
What stood out in Noah’s character must have been
What we need to be reminded of today… walk with God and be righteous in word and deed.
Oh dear Father
In our world that you must look upon now with sorrow help us stand out in this perverse world as different. Might the difference be that we love You and walk with You. Might we shine the light of love and truth to others.
I pray this in the mighty name who came, and died for the sins of this world.
Jesus only Jesus,
Amen
The idea that jumped out to me was the fact that even though God was punishing Cain he was protecting him and not allowing anyone to kill him.
Also, I am trying to memorize more verses this year. My very first one for this week is Romans 12:1. I love when God weaves things together for me like that ?
God gives a valuable lesson when he slaughtered a lamb to make cloths for Adam and Eve. Everything that God does is a teachable moment, without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin. There is a two fold message here, Adam and Eve knew there needed to be a sacrifice of an animal, by the shedding of blood to cover sin, both Cain and Able were taught this, Able was obedient in his offering where as Cain did not first and former bring his animal sacrifice but the grain offering.only. The grain offering “a most holy” offering was to be offered “after” the burnt offering, that is why God was displeased with Cains offering. The grain offering represents worship, Cain came before God unclean, without a blood covering. The grain offering as well as the animal offering are both a foreshadowing of Christ. Our worship is our free will offering through the shed blood of Jesus Christ.
God is oh so patient. To put up with those people who lived for a really long time before he said enough is enough!! But just like Jesus who seeks out the one from the 99, God has Noah that He can show his Goodness to. What a loving Father He is.
Do I doubt it? Do I doubt God’s promises? No. But sometimes I get lost discerning what is truly a promise from God and what are my hopes. My agenda can sometimes spill over into my prayers where I am asking for things to go the way I perceive they should or to avoid walking through suffering or asking why things have to be this way. And Jesus did the same in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus ended his prayer with “Not my will but Yours be done.” And that makes all the difference!
So by faith I can offer all of myself to God asking that His will be done in and through me.