“It’s not about whose side God is in but what God’s will and His kingdom have to say.
I
was reading a book I truly love that made me tear up pages after pages
(willtalkaboutitnexttime). Anyway, sometimes our prayer may contradicts to
other people prayer. As an example is some of us want the train to not be late,
but others pray that the train is delayed so they can catch the train. So whose
prayer will be answered? And if yours or his is not answered; it doesn’t mean
that you are not better because God does not play favouritism. But what is
God’s will upon that situation. Sometimes early is good but sometimes delay is
beautiful as well. What we need to understand at every situation is what is God
have to say about it.
Like
in the case of Joshua when seeing a man with a sword and he asked whose side
are you on? The army said “No, but I am God’s commander army.” This simply
said; it’s not which side I am on, but it’s what God’s kingdom said I will do J
Have a blessed Godly kingdom day!!”
After doing some casual research on the internet, I found the story of Cain
and Abel interesting, for that story really represents God’s favoritism. But
does God play favorites?
Genesis 4:1-12 (NIV)
1
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.” 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.” While they were
in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.
9
Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”
“I
don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”
10
The Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to
me from the ground. 11 Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground,
which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12 When
you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a
restless wanderer on the earth.”
What if God was one of us?
Just imagine, if you were Cain, wouldn’t you be angry? I surely would, why
on earth my hardwork is not appreciated, since I’ve been putting on my all?
Then again, I think about that in the work situation. If your boss said, “I
don’t like what you did, I like the way he’s doing it.” Would you just grab
your knife and stab your coworker? I thought about maturity, in processing all
inputs we got from outside. We have to be able to filter all the informations,
whether it’s true or false, based on kindness or hatred, and so on, so on.
Back to the story, I wonder why Abel’s offering is more favorable in God’s
eyes, rather than Cain’s? As I search through the internet, I found that Cain was the first person to
have offered a sacrifice to God, before any rules had been laid out about
proper and improper sacrifices. Along the verses above, in the verse 3
stated that, “In the course of time Cain
brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord.” and in
the verse 4, stated that, “And Abel also
brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock.” It’s
not that Abel offered animals, and Cain offered fruits, which make God chose
one and reject the other. If we read deeper into those verses, Cain’s offering
sounds ordinary, rather than Abel’s which sounds lavish! Notice that Abel
brought from the firstborn of his sheep, which Cain never reported about
bringing his first-fruits of the ground.
From that story above, we noticed that Abel put God first, while Cain
didn’t. So, God accepts offering from the fullness of gratitude, rather than
from half-hearted effort.
What if God wasn’t one of
us?
1 Samuel: 16-7 (NET)
“God
does not view things the way men do. People look on the outward appearance, but
the Lord looks at the heart.”
If God is really all-knowing and infinitely wise, so He wouldn’t be playing
favorites, between Cain and Abel. Furthermore, God loves us equally, saints or
sinners. With that in mind, let’s think again about why Cain’s offering were
rejected, but Abel’s accepted? It’s about the heart.
Micah 6:6-8 (NET)
“With
what should I enter the Lord’s presence? With what should I bow before the
sovereign God? Should I enter his presence with burnt offerings, with year-old
calves? Will the Lord accept a thousand rams, or ten thousand streams of olive
oil? Should I give him my firstborn child as payment for my rebellion, my
offspring -my own flesh and blood- for my sin? He has told you, O man, what is
good, and what the Lord really wants from you: He wants you to promote justice,
to be faithful, and to live obediently before your God.”
The book of Hebrews writes this way about Abel,
Hebrews 11:4 (NET)
“By
faith Abel offered God a greater sacrifice than Cain, and through his faith he
was commended as righteous, because God commended him for his offerings. And
through his faith he still speaks, though he is dead.”
And this verse tells about Cain,
1 John 3:12 (NET)
“not
like Cain who was of the evil one and brutally murdered his brother. And why
did he murder him? Because his deeds were evil, but his brother’s were
righteous.”
From those verses, we can easily point out the difference. Apart from the
Cain’s offering was half-hearted, and Abel’s was full of gratitude, we can see
that Abel offered to God from the deepest of his heart, and by faith, while
Cain offered to God from the heart that was initially evil, showing the
self-pitiness and jealousy.
Most of us show our self-pity when seeing others are blissfully blessed,
and we often show our insecurity from that situation. Just be sure, that when
God doesn’t answer our prayers, that means he doesn’t do it yet. For His plans
are bigger than ours, and His thoughts are wilder than ours. We are made
uniquely different to each other, that’s why God needs to customize our needs,
and everything in His timing. God rewards faith, compassion, and
wholeheartedness when we are nearing Him. We sometimes need to keep our eyes
off of people to see that God is good for us, because other people may see Him
differently, but the ending still the same. It’s unending. His love.
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