Image from blog.spu.edu
Now the man knew his wife Eve, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, ‘I have produced a man with the help of the Lord.’ Next she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a tiller of the ground. In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel for his part brought of the firstlings of his flock, their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering,but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. The Lord said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry, and why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is lurking at the door; its desire is for you, but you must master it.’ Cain said to his brother Abel, ‘Let us go out to the field.’ And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.Then the Lord said to Cain, ‘Where is your brother Abel?’ He said, ‘I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?’ And the Lord said, ‘What have you done? Listen; your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground! (Genesis 4:1-10)
Happy Friday to you, dear Friend! Is this not the day you have been looking forward to after a long work week? Rejoice, again I say, rejoice! Take time today to enjoy the rich blessings that are yours, namely family and friends, faith and love.
One of the saddest stories in the Bible is also one of the ones which rings true of sibling relationships. Upon their marriage and their new found state outside of Eden, Adam and Eve had two sons. The first one was named Cain; the second child was named Abel. Both boys were raised in the same way, yet when they grew a bit older, their personalities and character came out. Some believe the story shows the conflict always present between those who keep herds and flocks and those who farm and harvest. When it came time to sacrifice to the Lord, Cain brought an offering, some have said, an afterthought; while Abel brought to God the first and the best. God had regard for Abel's offering and for Cain, not so much. God still loved and regarded both equally; but for their offerings, God did not. This led to the first murder in the Bible, a fratricide which means brother killing brother. Sad, sad, sad. Those who have brothers and/or sisters, know that relationships can be tough. There are times when you either say or think, "I could kill her!" Yet, you don't. You soon forget why you were mad and make up. Or, you don't. We would pray that no relationship end up like these two.
God's heart was broken by this action. In fact, prior to the murder, God visits Cain and tries to talk some sense into him. God warns Cain that sin is like an animal of prey; which slyly lurks around to find its prey. "Its desire is for you, but you must master it." And like most of us, ignores what is right, what is from God; we know better. And off he went and murdered his brother. God asks Cain where Abel was; Cain answers with a lie, "I do not know; am I my brother's keeper?" Yes, Cain, yes, Eradio, you are. We have a God-given responsibility to care and keep our brothers and sisters; and that does not mean killing them. It should mean the opposite; to give life, to bless their lives, and that comes only through patient understanding and love. It means honest and open communication and a willingness to walk the second mile with them, maybe even going in their "shoes" as it were, to fully understand who they are. God's desire is for us to encounter the fullness of life through Jesus and in our relationships.
If this story has struck a chord with your situation, perhaps this is the day to make it right. Begin with a prayer for the person you feel estranged from; asking God to bless and protect that person. Then, as God so leads, maybe a call or a visit; maybe restoration will come today?
PRAYER: Loving God, for the story and example of Cain and Abel, we learn a lot. As we learn about ourselves, help us to continually learn about our loved ones, especially our siblings. Grant us wisdom, grant us courage; for living lives that bless and give life. In Christ Jesus we pray, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Be a brother/sister to all you meet today!
Eradio Valverde
Dear Internet/FaceBook readers of #ConCafe; next week I will not post any devotionals as I am on a trip. Please pray for us and enjoy reading something like The Upper Room online. I'll "see" you back on Monday, the 19th. God bless you and thank you for reading this. I encourage you to subscribe as well! At the top of http://TheUniversityOfTheWay.blogspot.com is a link that says, SUBSCRIBE HERE. Easy!
