Genesis 4:1-12 (http://www.biblegateway.com)
New International Version (NIV)
Cain and Abel
4 Adam[a] made love to his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain.[b] She said, “With the help of the Lord I have brought forth[c] a man.” 2 Later she gave birth to his brother Abel.
Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. 3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. 4 And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.6 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7 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.”
8 Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.”[d] While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.
How often are we like Cain, thinking that what we are doing should be pleasing to God rather than doing what God has asked us to do? Cain did what came easy to him, thinking it would be pleasing to God. Perhaps we have been gifted in a certain area or we aspire to use a certain gift when God is asking us to go in a different direction as he clearly was asking Cain to do. God asked a stuttering Moses to lead his people when I am sure Moses had talents that he may have thought would be of better use to God. God may not be asking us to use our most prominent gift for his glory, he may be stretching us and asking us in faith to rely on his provision to lead as Moses, Gideon and many other bible characters did.
Are we choosing to be obedient, to surrender our will to do what God has in mind for us?
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