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Well to understand that, let me take you back to the first book of the bible, Genesis. Have you read the story of Cain and Abel? Who am I kidding, of course you have! Most remember it as a tragedy of Cain killing his brother in jealousy; but have you revisited the story since Sunday school? I remember re-reading the story of Cain and Abel and came away a bit frustrated, and confused. “3 In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, 4 and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, 5 but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell.” Genesis 4:3-5 Why did God favor Abel over Cain? At first I became hurt at the fact that God chose favorites, and then I felt like I related more to Cain. He was the firstborn, and had brought what was considered a good offering; so why wasn’t he favored? Then God gave me a revelation, and so I studied and did more research. It wasn’t what Cain brought but when he brought it, and the hearts intention behind it. So, how does this apply to us ?
Think about it like this, you have two friends that get you a gift for your birthday. The first one brings you a gift that morning of your birthday, and its a $25 gift card to your favorite restaurant. How nice, right? Then friend number 2 doesn’t come see you until the end of the week, days after your birthday, and the gift they brought was already an opened envelope with a $50 gift card inside, but there was only $30 left on it. Sure, its a decent gift, but the intention behind it wasn’t pure. Would you rather someone buy you a hot fresh meal, or leftovers. A hot fresh meal of course! That was the difference between Cain and Abel’s offering. Abel brought the first fruits of his harvest, while Cain brought what was left over his at the end of the harvest. So whenever you give to God, make sure it’s the first and best that you have, and that your heart’s intention is in the right place. That doesn’t always mean money, but it could be your time, gifts, talents (see parable of the talents) or more! So challenge yourself today and ask, Am I giving God my First and Best? Start today, and spend time with God when you wake up before anything else.
Scripture reference: Genesis 4:1-16