Take Control Before You Lose Control
Adam made love to his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, "With the help of the LORD I have brought forth a man. Later, she gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. 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, but on Cain and his offering He did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? . . . 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." Genesis 4:1-7
The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering He did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? . . . 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." Genesis 4:1-7
Cain had the same opportunity as Abel to bless God with an offering. He wasn't as generous as Abel and so he was less favored by God. This angered him and left his heart open to infiltration by sin. Out of love, God cautioned him to take control of his thoughts. The picture is pretty arresting; sin is seen as lying in wait at the door of Cain's life, ready to destroy him if he did not take control of the situation.
The Bible makes it clear that our adversary, the Devil, goes about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. If we resist him, we have the divine assurance that he will flee from us.
Sin crouches at the doors of our lives at every opportunity, desiring to destroy us. The truth is: we have no control over what sin Satan might throw our way but we have the power of God within us to resist sin and not allow it to rule over us. We must take control before we lose control.
May the eyes of our understanding be enlightened to behold and resist every plot of the enemy against us. May we be so filled with the Presence of God that we will always take control before we lose control. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can!
The Bible makes it clear that our adversary, the Devil, goes about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. If we resist him, we have the divine assurance that he will flee from us.
Sin crouches at the doors of our lives at every opportunity, desiring to destroy us. The truth is: we have no control over what sin Satan might throw our way but we have the power of God within us to resist sin and not allow it to rule over us. We must take control before we lose control.
May the eyes of our understanding be enlightened to behold and resist every plot of the enemy against us. May we be so filled with the Presence of God that we will always take control before we lose control. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can!
Prayer: Lord, I thank you for the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit in my life. Thank you that I am empowered to have dominion over sin. By the power of the Spirit, I will take control over sin and not succumb to it. Amen