Today I was struggling with something on my heart. I knew I was being dramatic and the devil was pushing thoughts in my head that didn’t belong, but I couldn’t shake it.
Work distracted me for a while but it wasn’t going away. In my mind I worked through what I have been learning in 180° at church and found that the sin of pride had gotten me to this point of holding back anger and resentment.
Pride is a tricky thing that can look different than you might expect.
So I sat down to do my devotions after getting home from work. After I prayed, the story of Cain and Abel was brought to mind.
If you don’t know about Cain and Abel, they were brothers. Cain was the first born to Adam and Eve, the first man and woman God created. Abel was his younger brother. You can read about them in Genesis 4 but here is a quick snippet:
Cain and Abel had different jobs, therefore when they made a sacrifice to God, their offerings looked different.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t the only thing that was different. Cain brought his offering with a prideful heart, while Abel came with a humble, sincere, and obedient heart.
God did not accept the sacrifice of Cain because of his pride and unbelief, but did accept Abel’s.
This did not sit well with Cain and he became very upset.
He was angry and resentful toward his brother even though his own pride was the issue in the first place.
The Lord spoke with him and asked him why he was upset. Now... I know good and well God knew why he was upset. And yet he still asked.
God in his immanence and willingness to extend grace and favor, asked Cain what he was struggling with.
Even though God knew Cain would kill his own brother later in the story, he still cared and wanted to bring him to repentance.
As I read what the Lord spoke to him, I wasn’t really sure what a portion of it really meant.
I could have guessed, but I wanted to see what some commentaries said and I’m so glad I did.
One commentary said this:
Vs. 6 And the Lord said unto Cain, why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?....
“Which was said not as being ignorant of his wrath and resentment, but to bring him to a conviction of his sin or sins, which were the cause of God's rejecting his sacrifice, and to repentance and amendment; and to show him that he had no cause to be displeased, either with him or his brother, for the different treatment of him and his offering; since the fault lay in himself, and he had none to blame but his own conduct, which for the future he should take care to regulate according to the divine will, and things would take a different turn.”
Wow...
I want my heart’s deepest desire to be regulated according to the divine will of God.
Maybe my situations I struggle with would turn out different if my heart and mind is regulated to God’s divine will.
What does that mean though?
Regulate is define as “control or maintain so to operate properly” or “set according to an external standard”
Lord, help me set my mind and spirit according to your standard, not the world’s. I know that only when my mind is stayed on you will my life operate properly.
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