Genesis 4:6, 7 - Making Right Choices.
Genesis 4:6, 7 (NIV) 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 master it."
Genesis 4:6, 7 (NLT) Why are you so
angry? the LORD asked Cain. Why do you look so
dejected? 7 You will be accepted if you do what is
right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then
watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to
control you. But you must subdue it and be its
master.
COMMENTARY PEARL
Set Up Some Safeguards
There are certain questions in life that
we dont need to think about or pray about.
Why? Because we already know what God says about
them.
For example, we already know that its
not okay to steal because God tells us, You
must not steal (Exodus 20:15 NLT). We already
know that its not okay to have an adulterous
relationship because God says, You must not commit
adultery (Exodus 20:14 NLT).
But then there are things that were
unsure about. We dont know for certain whether
theyre right or wrong.
The good news is that we can set up some
safeguards in our lives to help us determine what we
should do. Before you engage in that activity
youre uncertain about, ask yourself some
questions.
First, does it build you up spiritually,
or does it tear you down? The apostle Paul
wrote, You say, I am allowed to do
anything - but not everything is good for you. You
say, I am allowed to do anything - but not
everything is beneficial (1 Corinthians 10:23 NLT).
You should avoid, at all costs, anything
that could tear you down spiritually, pull you
away from the people of God, keep you from
Christian fellowship, or take the edge off your desire
for prayer or Bible study.
Second, does it bring you under its
power? Again, Paul wrote, I must not become a
slave to anything (1 Corinthians 6:12 NLT). I
dont want to be under the control of anyone or
anything except Jesus Christ.
Third, do you have an uneasy conscience
about it? Paul wrote to the believers in Rome,
If you do anything you believe is not right,
you are sinning (Romans 14:23 NLT).
These are things we need to consider as
believers because we have an adversary, the Devil, who
is waiting to strike. So be careful. [Greg
Laurie from Harvest Ministries;
https://www.harvestdaily.com]
COMMENTARY
It's at the Door
Years ago, my son Christopher was lying
out in the sun at our house when he woke up to
find a huge gopher snake, coiled up and hissing
at him, poised to strike. It must have been six
or seven feet long. Terrified, he ran into the
house and shut the door behind him.
That is a picture of how sin can be:
ready to strike. It is at the door--for all of us.
It is potentially there at all times, and for
some of us, it has already slithered across the
threshold.
When Cain saw that the Lord accepted
Abel's offering, but not his, he was angry. So God
gave him a warning. He essentially told Cain what
was going to happen to him if he didn't get
himself under control: "Sin lies at the door. And
its desire is for you, but you should rule over
it" (Genesis 4:7). Another way to translate it
would be, 'Sin is crouching at the door like a
beast.' What a vivid picture that is of sin
crouching, ready to pounce like a wild animal.
So the next time sin comes knocking at
your door, you might say, "Lord, would You mind
getting that? I'm going to stand in Your strength.
I'm going to trust in You. You are the only one
who can give me the strength to overpower sin."
If we will master sin, then we must first be
mastered by Him who mastered it.
Tragically, Cain did not allow himself to
be mastered by God but instead became enslaved
by the Devil. [Every Day with Jesus by Greg
Laurie]
ILLUSTRATION
A Picture of Redemption
Every once in a while God gives us the
chance to witness a miracle! Recently, a leader in
Celebrate Recovery shared this miracle with me:
"A year ago a man walked into my office,
broken, at his wit's end, with a heart full of
despair. He was angry and trying to cope with a host
of substances and other unhealthy habits that
were destroying his mind and hardening his heart.
He was ready to abandon his wife and family.
Last night I saw this man again at a Celebrate
Recovery graduation service.
Now, eleven months sober, he is a
completely different man.
"With tears in his eyes, he accepted his
12-Step chip and then expressed his love for his
wife who was sitting close by. I was humbled as I
heard him talk about the restoration that had come
to his marriage and how his kids are rejoicing
and talking about God. He then quoted the
following Bible passage, changing you to I: 'If I do
what is right, will not I be accepted? But if I
do not do what is right, sin is crouching at my
door; it desires to have me, but I must master
it.' "
The man I met a year ago is no more. In
his place, a new leader has been born. That's
what I call a true miracle - the transformation
of a human life."
Dear God of miracles, I stand in awe of
what you have done in so many lives. My words
cannot express your greatness. In Jesus' name,
Amen. [Celebrate Recovery Daily Devotional by John
& Johnny Baker]
CLOSING THOUGHT
Just Do It!
"This day I call heaven and earth as
witnesses against you that I have set before you life
and death, blessings and curses. Now choose
life, so that you and your children may live and
that you may love the Lord your God, listen to
his voice, and hold fast to him." Deuteronomy
30:19-20
I love Deuteronomy 30. It's what I call
the Nike text because it is where God says,
"Just Do It." Essentially, he says this: "What I
am telling you to do is not too hard when you
stop and think about it. It's not in outer space,
and it's not across the ocean. No, it's right
here before you. You will have to make a choice,
though, and I won't do that for you. But when you
make the choice to follow me, you and your
children will live, and I mean really live!"
God says, "When I set before you the
opportunity to make the right choice, Just do it! When
you see the next right thing to do, Just do it!
What I'm offering you is a choice between life
and death - now choose life!"
There will be opportunities to do both
good and evil today, good which leads to life,
evil which leads to death. It's a choice each of
us will make. It's a lot easier to decide what
we will do before we are faced with the actual
choice.
Father, help me as I make critical
choices today that will affect my life and the lives
of those I love. I know you want only the best
for me. In Jesus' name, Amen. [Celebrate
Recovery Daily Devotional by John & Johnny Baker]
LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS PASSAGE
Genesis 4:6, 7 - Making Right Choices.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2016/20160224-1240.html
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Most Important Decision in Life:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0
Steps to Peace by Billy Graham:
https://stepstopeace.org/
A Man without Equal by Bill Bright:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo
Seeking God Made Real:
http://vimeo.com/31489782
Prayer Made Real:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE
Importance of Choice:
http://creationhealth.com/CREATION-Health/Choice [click on video]
Medical Seminar on Healthful Living by David
DeRose, MD, MPH:
https://www.smartlifestyletv.com/lifestart
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies:
http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Hope Awakens Bible Study Guides:
https://www.hopeawakens.study/lesson-header;id=2
Glow Tract Video Bible Studies:
http://www.bibleresearch.info/
LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS
Islam and Christianity in Prophecy, The
Third and Final Conflict by Tim Roosenberg:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHSJB-fuHLU&list=PLWhQIHGTHlkaGg5Cwe3NDzWtFX8vNSpsE
Unlocking Bible Prophecies by Cami Oetman of
Adventist World Radio: https://www.awr.org/bible
Revelation Now by Pastor Doug Batchelor:
https://www.revelationnow.com/
Hope Awakens by John Bradshaw of IIW:
https://itiswritten.tv/programs/hope-awakens
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
