HEBREWS 11:4

MONDAY, JANUARY 22, 2007

GIVING OUT OF FAITH

4 By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.

This is the third devotion in a series on Hebrews 11, based on "Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." Hebrews 11:1 You can go here to view the earlier devotions in this series.

When we read of Cain and Abel in Genesis we often get bogged down in discussion of a question that has no answer – that question being:  What were the differences in the sacrifices that Cain and Abel made that caused God to accept one and not the other?

You can read Genesis over and over and not find a reason. It is not that raising sheep was more important than tilling the land and growing crops. It is not that God valued the sacrifice of an animal over the sacrifice of crops.

When you read Hebrews 11: 4 along with Genesis, the answer becomes clear.  It was not the type of work Cain and Abel did; it was not what they chose to give as a sacrifice; it was why they did it. By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, we read in our verse for today. It was that Abel gave out of his FAITH that made the difference.

God made that decision, there is no need to question it.

This must lead us to consider these questions:

Do I give/sacrifice...

because I have to?

because my friends do?

because it is there?

because it is a habit?   OR

because my faith compels me to do it?

This gift/sacrifice can be anything from a table prayer, going to worship, or committing yourself to a tithe or a lifetime of service. NOW, DON’T PANIC if you fall short in your reason for giving. The important thing is to recognize why you give/sacrifice, and then through prayer seek to grow in allowing faith to be your only reason for giving.

WE PRAY:  Lord, I know that you love me. Even so, I know that I fall short in loving You. Send your Holy Spirit upon me that I may grow in faith day after day until that day when I join You in the Glories of Heaven.

A SUGGESTION FOR LIVING THE DEVOTION

Many times our table prayers are simply words that automatically flow from our mouth. The next time you pray, think about each word. If you close your eyes and all other sounds are tuned out, can you imagine Jesus as a guest sitting at your table or how Great God is, or whatever picture your prayer might suggest?