For those who have brothers and sisters in your earthly family you will know that on occasions frictions occur, arguments erupt and emotions run high. This can be said also for the family of God.

In my quiet time the other evening I was led to Genesis 4, the relationship between Cain and Able, the first brothers. As I read about the relationship between the brothers it brought back memories of my own relationship with my sister.

I was jealous when we first started ice-skating as she was more confident on the ice than I was. I felt left behind. This actually spurred me on to tackle it. We both became proficient, but I have to admit she was better at figure skating than me. I didn’t like the jumps. I didn’t like my feet off the ground and I certainly didn’t like the spins, it left me too dizzy. I was just happy to do a bit of dancing and race around the rink, I loved it. It is one of my dreams to go back and do some ice-skating one day with my own boots. She was good at figure skating I was not. That’s just the way it was.

Cain and Abel were given two separate tasks to do. One was to till the ground and the other to manage the sheep. Then the time came to present their offerings to God. God has no favourites, we are all equal in His eyes but as humans we tend to covet another’s abilities or gifts or even their temperament. God tests our hearts to see whether we love Him and are prepared to give all of ourselves.

This is demonstrated right back in Genesis with Abel. Abel gave the better gift. He gave his all.

Notice here that God first said he had respect unto Abel first and then to his offering. The two go together.

But what follows next is most important. Did God condemn Cain? Did He accuse Cain and give him a hard time of verbal abuse? No!

God is fair and just and His ways are perfect He gave Cain an opportunity to speak up for himself.

He puts the questions to Cain first to give an account of himself. God is leading him all the time to see the error of his ways.

God lays out choice, not only that but the Truth about sin and the consequences if not heeded. Is this just not the kindness of God, the same God to us now? Yes. He is the same.

But Cain’s envy and jealousy over his brother was too much to bear. His pride was hurt and he let sin enter his heart even though God had pointed out the Truth, the Way and Life.

Cain chose the opposite. He went against God’s leading.

Even when this had happened and Cain sinned and killed his brother God still did not raise a hand to him but put it to Cain justly and fairly again.

Cain dug a deeper hole for himself. Instead of repenting his pride, denial and rebellion of his wrongdoing.

God gave Cain plenty of time to repent, to come clean to accept right judgement and now this judgement would be passed onto Cain in all righteousness.

God’s heart is broken here having lost a son, Abel, for it cried unto the Lord.

The gift of tilling the ground to yield it’s fruit was now going to be harder than ever and on top of that God was exiling him. Still God did not take his life but gave him a punishment to fit the crime.

God separated Cain from Himself. It was Cain’s sin that had done this.

God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. His Word stands just the same.

Rebelliousness is as a sin of witchcraft.

Have you fallen asleep? Have you heard directions from the Lord of your calling and you’ve ignored it.

Do you envy your brother and sister’s gifts given by God to such an extent that it is spoiling your relationship with Him.

The other side to the prodigal son demonstrates this, the other brother envious of all the attention from the Father because he was lost and then found.

Here we see the love of the Father just the same entreating to his other son.

We are to become more and more like Jesus.

God calls, questions in love and gives many chances for repentance personally. It is between you and God.

He wants the best for you and knows our weaknesses and our strengths. Do not give the devil a foothold in getting forever closer to Jesus.

Bring your hurts, your disappointments even anger before the Lord alone and trust His judgement in all things. It is always the best way. It is always for your best and always in love.