Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. 2nd Corinthians 9:7
Read: Genesis: 4:1-7 (KJV)
4:1 And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the Lord.
4:2 And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.
4:3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord.
4:4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering:
4:5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
4:6 And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?
4:7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.
Bible in one year:
2nd Corinthians 11-13,
Daniel 7:13-28,
Hymn:
Sing hymn 10
Message:
When it comes to the issue of giving, we are not only expected to do what is required but also what is commanded by the Almighty God. No matter how much you give in church, or how much you give to different causes in God’s Kingdom, you can never out-give God. God is more interested in the attitude with which you give than in what you give.
He knows to what extent He has blessed you, and He expects your acts of giving to reflect this. Each time we sow, God allows our seed to multiply. Since I have been giving God, I have never known a better yesterday, because God is always doing something new in my life. I always pity those who do not give to God. This is foolishness, because there is nothing you have today that you have not received from God. At the table of the Almighty set before you, you are permitted to take what you want and as much as you want (Psalm 23:5). There is no scarcity in Heaven, and this is why God had promised to open the windows of heaven to pour out a blessing on those who obey His commandments concerning tithes, offerings, and sowing to kingdom assignments and charities. Your acts of giving must be done cheerfully and not grudgingly.
In today’s Bible reading, Abel’s sacrifice was accepted while that of Cain was rejected. Why did this happen? Abel brought his sacrifice to God with joy, thankfulness and with great expectation. He brought his offering with an upright heart, and he also offered a sacrifice that was well pleasing to God. When people are not sincere with God, it doesn’t matter how many sermons they have listened to, or how many hours they have spent in the place of prayer, things will still always go wrong with them. God was not pleased with pleased with Cain’s sacrifice because his heart was not right before Him. Cain was envious of his brother’s blessings and he failed to focus on his own heart. May your sacrifice not be rejected before God in Jesus’ Name. Cain was a wicked man, operating under the influence of the flesh; therefore, his sacrifice was an abomination before God. Proverbs 15:8 says,
“The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord but the prayer of the upright is his delight.”
If a tree is good, its fruits will be good. God is interested in the fruits we bear. Abel was careful in the choice of his sacrifice. He intentionally used the best of his flock because he understood that if you give your best to God, He will in turn give His best to you. Endeavour to always give the best of your life to God, and see how He will respond.
Action Point:
Offer the best of your time and the best of your service to God today.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional Lessons was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical Church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.
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