Genesis 4:5. How do You Respond When God Disappoints You?

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 Genesis 4:5 “But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.”  

To do exactly what God asks of you, or not, is a big deal. It is not enough to be spiritual, zealous, and regularly attend worship services if we are not humble, obedient and completely surrendered to the will of God. 

God was not arbitrarily playing favorites when He “had respect unto Abel and his offering” but “had not respect” unto Cain and his offering. Not at all. God isn’t like that (Acts 10:34). God is no capricious respecter of persons. He doesn’t play favorites based on age, appearance, economic or social status (James 2:1-9). The distinction God made was a matter in which both Cain and Abel had a choice. It was the choice of offering and what that said about the faith and character of the one presenting it (see Genesis 4:4).  

Now Cain didn’t think that was fair. He may have even reasoned theologically that since his profession of tilling the ground was the original God-given office for mankind, his worship was just as good, if not superior to his brother’s, and worthy of divine recognition! The more he stewed over it, the more sure he became that he had just cause to be angry. He boiled inside, and that could be read in his countenance.

Our facial expression often reveals what is in our hearts, or what is not in our hearts! Does your face reflect the peace and joy of heaven, or the turbulence of an unsanctified, unsurrendered heart? When God’s response, or lack of response to your worship disappoints you, how do you react? Whatever you do, make sure not to disappoint God by ignoring or rationalizing away some cutting truth in order to avoid applying it in your life. May we humbly search our hearts and give no place to pride, anger, resentment, or self-justification. 

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Ezra James
The Word of God is bread from heaven. God sent it, but we must gather it, appreciate it, digest it, and live by it. These days it is increasingly scarce. Many are starving for it and don't know it because they keep feasting on bad bread that doesn't satisfy. But if we would learn to carefully gather up the fragments of the True, Heavenly Bread of Life, we would always enjoy a feast of crumbs, because even God's crumbs are miracles mighty to save (Mark 7:24-30). ESPAÑOL: La Palabra de Dios es pan del cielo. Dios lo envió, pero debemos recogerlo, apreciarlo, digerirlo y vivir por él. Hoy en día es cada vez más escaso. Muchos están muriendo de hambre por falta de él sin saberlo porque se alimentan de pan falso que no satisface. Pero si aprendiéramos a recoger cuidadosamente los fragmentos del Verdadero Pan Celestial, Pan de Vida, siempre disfrutaríamos de un banquete de migajas, porque hasta las migajas de Dios son milagros poderosos para salvar (Marcos 7:24-30).