January 2, 2012 (Genesis 3-5; Luke 2)
From the Life Journal of Adam Proux:
Scripture: “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.” Genesis 4:7 NLT
Observation: For whatever reason the offering Cain brought before the Lord was not accepted. He was given an opportunity to make things right, but chose otherwise. His embarrassment and jealously caused him to commit horrible acts and turned him onto a destructive life course. God clearly tells us here that sins desire is to control us, but we must subdue it and be it’s master. Through Christ, and His Holy Spirit, this can be accomplished.
Application: In America where I live, we like to shun responsibility as much as possible. We treat God’s grace like it’s some kind of magic eraser that erases sin as we commit it. Repentance and the responsibility to live holy has been shunned and replaced with an attitude that says “Jesus paid the price, so I’m not responsible for the cost associated with sin”. But God’s word clearly teaches us that sin has a desire to control us and we must subdue sin and master it, or else it will master us. If we, like Cain, choose to let sin rule us we will find ourselves on a destructive life course as well.
Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You for Your mercy and grace that enables me to live a life that is pleasing to You. Help me Lord, do what is right in Your eyes and be pleasing in Your sight. Help me present unto You a life of offering that You will accept. Strengthen me to subdue sin in my life and be its master. Keep me from going astray and protect me from sins desire, in Jesus name, Amen!