A Faith-filled Life Leads Us To Put The Lord First In Our Lives
“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.” (Hebrews 11:4)
Devotional Thought - In your family, who was the “favorite child” growing up, and why did they receive that designation from you and/or others? In Genesis 4, we read about the story of Cain and Abel, sons of Adam and Eve. Cain eventually killed his brother because he was jealous that God honored Abel’s sacrifice to the Lord but did not honor his (Cain’s) sacrifice. Their story reminds us about the perils of allowing anger, jealousy, and other sinful strongholds to remain in our hearts. But it also reminds us of how the Lord responds to the faith we place in Him.
What made Abel’s offering of “firstborn lambs” more acceptable to God than Cain’s offering of “some of his crops”? Cain’s offering was some (perhaps even leftovers) of what he had. But Abel brought his best offering to the Lord. Their story is a reminder to us that the Lord always wants us to prioritize giving Him our best when it comes to our time, talents and resources (Proverbs 3:9-10, Malachi 3:10, Matthew 6:33).
Why did Abel bring his best to the Lord? Because Abel really trusted the Lord, he was willing to give his best as a sacrifice to the Lord. He believed that the Lord deserved his best, and he believed the Lord would reward his best offering.
In a similar way, when we faithfully tithe to support God’s work it demonstrates our faith in the Lord. If we aren’t tithing and living by God’s financial principles, we have some steps to take if we want to experience more of God’s approval and blessings.
Even though Abel experienced a tragic death at the hands of his brother, he’s received great rewards in heaven. His story is a reminder that the Lord always affirms and rewards those who demonstrate their faith by “putting God first” in their lives.
Prayer - Lord, help me strive to be not like Cain but like Abel – living a godly life and prioritizing You in every area of my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Follow Up Activity - Do a quick assessment to determine if the Lord is FIRST in your Finances, Interests (work, hobbies, etc), Relationships, Schedule, and Troubles.
