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Kittens

Daily Reading

Genesis 4-7

Daily Thought

Cain and Abel each bring an offering to God, one of fruit and the other a firstborn lamb. God found Abel’s acceptable, but why not Cain’s?

The essence of worship is faith and trust, humility and submission, devotion and awe. The Lord said to Cain, “If you do well, will you not be accepted?” (Genesis 4:7). The problem was not fruit or flock, but Cain’s attitude. There was no contrition, no faith, no love or adoration. It was, at best, an offering of duty, and more likely one of greed and rivalry and pride. Cain gave in hopes of getting.

The warning is in verse 7, “And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.” Sin has a life of its own, crouching tiger-like, waiting to spring and strike and devour. My dad told us boys, “The problem with kittens is they grow up to be cats.” My dad did not like cats. Beware when you keep little sins as little pets – they grow up. Sin craves repetition until it takes hold and becomes a habit and so becomes master.

This is why worship more than willpower beats the beast in this battle. Willpower gives us strength but worship guards our heart and transforms our desires. When I worship rightly, I shoo the beast away from my heart and put God back on his throne.

Daily Prayer

My wonderful God, may my life be the first thing I bring to You as an offering, as worship. I shall love You with all that I am, my heart and soul and mind and might. And sin I shall hate. You are going to have to help me with this. Please, do whatever it takes.

Amen

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In the Beginning God

Daily Reading

Genesis 1-3

Daily Thought

God says that after eating the forbidden fruit, Adam became like him in knowing good and evil (Genesis 3:22). Why is that a bad thing? My children know good and evil because I teach them good and evil (preferring good). Have I been feeding my children the forbidden fruit?

The answer is found in the first four words of the Bible, “In the beginning God.” This is the worldview into which Adam and Eve were created. It is where they belong. They did not perceive good and evil, they simply lived in God’s creation in the manner he designed it. They did so without thinking, without choosing. Now that they have eaten the fruit, they get to think about it. They get to choose. And their lust to choose was stronger than their love of living in God’s Eden.

We must teach our children good and evil because Adam and Eve made that knowledge available to us, and we must teach them how to choose. The best way to choose wisely is to follow closely to God, the way it was in the beginning before the serpent. In God’s Kingdom Come, evil is abolished. We will return to “In the beginning God.”

Jesus said, “Follow me.” ~Mark 1:19

Daily Prayer

Creator God, Loving Father, what a world you created! Awesome and amazing. Thank You for life. It is purely wonderful, meaning it is wonderful when it is pure. I am so sorry for fouling things up, for going my own way, for not following You. So, thank You again for changing my heart. For pursuing me and teaching me to pursue You. For giving me life anew.

I look forward to Your Kingdom. Today and everyday, may I live for, may I follow closely my King, my God, Jesus Christ. My Savior.

Amen