God wants your best!

God wants your best!

Genesis 4,offering,Cain and Abel,What God requires

God never requires more than what you already have... In Genesis 4:7 He asks Cain,  "If you do your best, will not I accept you?" In other words, all He asks of us is the best from what we already have, not our leftovers.  The expectation is found earlier in chapter 4 of Genesis by the mentioning of Cain's vocation. He was a tiller of the soil: a farmer. Our best is not that time we fit into our schedules, or the offering that we give after having paid our bills, and other expenses. Can we not plan to serve God with our time, talents, and treasure just as we plan parties, a guy’s night out, or to buy expensive items? Why is it that we can boast about work attendance and punctuality, we make sure our children go to school everyday, but we cannot seem to make it to church on time? Is that our best? Is that really what we give to God?
The adjective used to describe the fruit that Cain gave to God was "some". Is that what we give God "some" fruit? Nothing special, not the best, just "some" fruit. (On a sidenote, there are some who would argue that Cain’s sacrifice should have been one of blood. Because, in the Hebrew tradition there is no forgiveness without blood. That’s how we get to Jesus by the way. However, in the situation in Genesis 4, we don’t know the purpose of the offering. I believe their occupations were listed and then commented upon with God’s favor, or not, as a clue to the type of offering that was required of them. When we check both ideas against scripture Heb 11, they both stand well.)
God required a calf from Abel, because Abel raised animals. He required fruits from Cain, because Cain was a tiller of the ground. Notice that He did not require Abel to give fruit, nor Cain to give from a flock. If you want to know what God requires of you, look within. He’s already placed it in your care. Be it your writings, cooking, or singing, your listening ear to hurting persons, event organizing, praying, or serving. God did not place that gift in you simply so that you could sustain an Earthly life. Whatever it is, remember that you should give a portion to God, and when you give God His portion, it must be your best--in order for it and you, to be accepted by the Lord. Look again at what Abel gave to God. It was the first born from his flock, and the fattest of the firstborn. He gave God the best of the best. And that's what we should do with who we are, and what we give to God.
Another part of that scripture (Gen 4) tells how Cain was feeling after this offering. His countenance had fallen. In other words he felt rejected, and miserable because of it. Don't we feel the same way after we give God less than our best? When we present God with a version of ourselves that is not the best we can be, don't we feel our countenance has fallen? Hmmmm.

We love you, and we are praying for you.
~SALT, Pastor Erroyl and Sis. Pinky

Sis. Pinky's prayer:

Almighty God, maker of heaven and earth, we thank you for placing spiritual gifts in us. Help us to give you our best at all times, especially when it's sacrificial. Let us not allow worldly things to get us distracted nor self created idols to take the place of You. We thank you for being patient, loving, merciful, and full of grace. 

In Jesus' name we pray,

Amen