Live for Christ

Hey All,
A little Southern drawl implied....Hope your time with the Lord and His children blessed you greatly yesterday . Our pastor was gone, speaking at a conference so his son preached on Genesis 4, about Cain and Able.
It was interesting to revisit this passage and I noted that Cain was so arrogant to the Lord. Verse 9 God asks Cain where Able is. Cain's reply: "I don't know. Am I my brother's keeper?" This is God he's talking to and such disrespect!
But, God deals with Cain and tells him that he will be a wanderer for the rest of his life. Verse 13: "My punishment is more than I can bear. " He's upset because he's being driven from the garden of Eden and can't be a farmer any longer. Then, Cain thinks that someone will kill him. So God puts a mark on him for protection. Cain's life goes on, but it's never the same. He pays the price for not living for the Lord and being obedient to God.
2 Cor. 5:15 tells us:"And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again." Cain lived for himself. He didn't understand or didn't want obedience to God.
What I also see in the Genesis passage is God's grace, poured out on Cain's rebellious head. He pours out His grace on us daily, but are we living for Him, or for ourselves? I like to start my day by thanking the Lord for things. That way my mind and heart get focused on Him, not me.
It's hard to be obedient sometimes, especially if we allow circumstances or our own desires to rule us. By starting our day directing our attention to Him we have freedom in Christ, not to sin, but to be willingly obedient to Him.

Striving for obedience,
Sandy