DAY 1 – JANUARY 30
SERIES: MAKERS AND BREAKERS
TITLE: “WITH THE HELP OF GOD”
WEEKLY SCRIPTURE READING: Genesis 4:1-12
DAILY SCRIPTURE
KEY SCRIPTURE “Adam lay with his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, ‘With the help of the Lord I have brought forth a man.’” Genesis 4:1
Psalm 18 is one of my favorite passages of scripture. God has used it many times in my life to remind me that He is my helper. Psalm 18:29 says, “With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall.” With God as our Helper, the impossible becomes possible. The troops of the enemy that seem so vast and large are overcome through the help of God. The gigantic walls of difficulties and circumstances that seem impossible to climb can be conquered through His help. He continually reminds me that I can do many things I could never do on my own, through His help.
Psalm 18 continues with powerful words about our Helper. The passage says, “It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights. He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great. You broaden the path beneath me, so that my ankles do not turn.” Psalm 18:32-36.
Imagine being in a classroom setting where you are not able to understand what the teacher or professor is saying. After class, you go to a fellow student or classmate and ask them to explain it to you. As you listen, you realize your fellow classmate does not understand it either. So then, you sit down with the teacher. The teacher takes the time to explain it to you and help you, for he or she has understood it. God is the Master teacher and He has the power and ability to help you today.
I do not know the “troops” you may be facing today, but I do know that God can give you victory over those troops. Gideon faced an army much greater than his own army, but it was not greater than His God. Gideon discovered that God could help him to overcome the troops he was facing. I do not know the walls that you need to climb as you begin a new year. However, I do know that there is a God that can help you to do what you could never do on your own. The God who brought down the walls of Jericho is greater than any walls you will face this year.
Eve acknowledged that God was her helper. She was able to give birth to the first child ever born by the help of God. You and I have a helper. The Psalmist said, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea.” Psalm 46:1-2. Help is available today.
DAY 2 – JANUARY 31
SERIES: MAKERS AND BREAKERS
TITLE: “AN OFFERRING”
WEEKLY SCRIPTURE READING: Genesis 4:1-12
DAILY SCRIPTURE READING: Genesis 4:2-5
KEY SCRIPTURE: “In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord.” Genesis 4:3
In 2002, Paul Baloche wrote a worship song with the title, “Offering”. Take a few moments to reflect on the words of the song.
The sun cannot compare
to the glory of your love
There is no shadow in your presence
No mortal man would dare to stand before your
throne
Before the Holy One of heaven
It's only by your blood
And it's only through your mercy
Lord, I come
I bring an offering of worship to my King
No one on earth deserves the praises that I
sing
Jesus, may you receive the honor that you're
due
O Lord, I bring an
offering to you
O Lord, I bring an
offering to you
O Lord, I bring an
offering to you
Cain and Abel both brought an offering to the Lord. Abel, who was a keeper of the flocks, brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. Cain, who worked the soil, brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. God looked at the offering of Abel with favor, but he did not look with favor on the offering of Cain.
What does it mean to you to give God an offering that He looks with favor upon? In other words, an offering that is pleasing to Him. Paul, in his letter to the Philippians, said, “I have received full payment and even more; I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God.” Philippians 4:18. Hebrews 13:15-16 says, “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise-the fruit of lips that confess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” Romans 12: 1 says, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship.” (Romans 12:1.)
To offer God a pleasing offering to is to offer God an offering of the heart. God is pleased when we surrender all and offer our very lives to Him. What will you offer the Lord today?
DAY 3 – FEBRUARY 1
SERIES: MAKERS AND BREAKERS
TITLE: “ANGER”
WEEKLY SCRIPTURE READING: Genesis 4:1-12
DAILY SCRIPTURE
KEY SCRIPTURE: “but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.” Genesis 4:5
Some years ago, National Geographic magazine ran an article about a National Park ranger in British Columbia who has two sets of huge antlers, as wide as a man's reach, that are locked together. Evidently, two bull moose began fighting, their antlers locked, and they could not get free. One commentator simply observed, “They died due to anger.” Ben Franklin once commented, “Anger is never without a reason, but seldom with a good one.”
Cain responded with great anger. It was a noticeable anger that impacted his entire demeanor. A lady once came to Evangelist Billy Sunday and tried to rationalize her angry outbursts. "There's nothing wrong with losing my temper," she said. "I blow up, and then it's all over." "So does a shotgun," Sunday replied, "and look at the damage it leaves behind!" Anger can have the potential to hurt and destroy. As we discovered with Cain, anger has the potential to kill. Maggie Scarg, in New York Times magazine, once wrote, “Getting angry can sometimes be like leaping into a wonderfully responsive sports car, gunning the motor, taking off at high speed and then discovering the brakes are out of order.”
Some years ago now, Bruce Goodrich was being initiated into the Cadet Corps at Texas A & M University. One night, Bruce was forced to run until he dropped -- but he never got up. Bruce Goodrich died before he even entered college. How might you respond if you were the parents of Bruce Goodrich?
A short time after the tragedy, Bruce's father wrote this letter to the
administration, faculty, student body, and the corps of cadets: "I would
like to take this opportunity to express the appreciation of my family for the
great outpouring of concern and sympathy from
Mr. Goodrich went on: "I hope it will be some comfort to know that we harbor no ill will in the matter. We know our God makes no mistakes. Bruce had an appointment with his Lord and is now secure in his celestial home. When the question is asked, 'Why did this happen?' perhaps one answer will be, 'So that many will consider where they will spend eternity.'" Mr. Goodrich chose not to respond with anger, but with faith. Instead of letting anger take a foothold, he put his trust in the Sovereign God. How will you respond to the issues of your day today?
DAY 4 – FEBRUARY 2
SERIES: MAKERS AND BREAKERS
TITLE: “MASTER IT”
WEEKLY SCRIPTURE READING: Genesis 4:1-12
DAILY SCRIPTURE
KEY SCRIPTURE: “If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.” Genesis 4:7
It has been said, that which you don’t master will master you. God is saying to Cain that if he does not master the sin that is crouching at the door it will master him. This is a verse of warning for Cain. God sought to warn Cain against the hazards of the sin in his heart ready to attack him. Like a wild beast, sin was at the door of his heart, ready to master him. God gave warning so that with divine hope, he could rule over the sin that sought to master him. Sadly, Cain chose to be a servant to sin. He did not heed God’s warning. The hostility that Cain allowed to take root and grow in his heart came to possess him and make him a servant to sin.
As I reflect on sin as a master, the wrings of Paul to Romans come to mind. He wrote,
“Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace. What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey-whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.” Romans 6:12-18.
Adam did not have to be mastered by sin. Through the power of Christ, we do not have to live as slaves to sin. Instead, we are called to be slaves to righteousness. Each of us must choose who we are going to be servant to. We must decide who and what will master us. When we turn our lives over to God, He becomes the Lord and Master of our lives. He is then able to give us victory over that sin that wants to have victory over us.
I heard an old, old
story, How a Savior came from glory,
How He gave His life on Calvary, To save a wretch like me;
I heard about His groaning, Of His precious blood's atoning,
Then I repented of my sins, And won the victory.
O victory in Jesus, My Savior, forever.
He sought me and bought me, With His redeeming blood;
He loved me, ere I knew Him, And all my love is due Him,
He plunged me to victory, Beneath the cleansing flood. (Eugene
Bartlett)
DAY 5 – FEBRUARY 3
SERIES: MAKERS AND BREAKERS
TITLE: “AM I MY BROTHER’S KEEPER?”
WEEKLY SCRIPTURE READING: Genesis 4:1-12
DAILY SCRIPTURE
KEY SCRIPTURE: “Then the Lord said to Cain, ‘Where is your brother Abel?’ ‘I don’t know,’ he replied. ‘Am I my brother’s keeper?’” Genesis 4:9
This is a question that is worth reflecting on. It is a question that causes us to search our heart. “Am I my brother’s keeper.” Jesus taught in Matthew 25:35-45 that we are our brother’s keeper. That passage begins with the words, “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in. I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’” Matthew 25:35-36. Reflect on this question as you read this poem written by Linda Kruschke.
“Am I my
brother’s keeper?” Asked Cain, when questioned by God
It was a rhetorical question. Cain knew the answer
Or what he thought was the answer. It was “no” as far
as he was concerned
Abel was dead. No need for keeping anymore.
“Am I my brother’s
keeper?” We ask, as we walk by the homeless man
Standing in a doorway with his dog, Drinking our $4 latte
It’s a rhetorical question, We think we know the answer
It’s “no” as far as we’re concerned, It’s probably his fault he’s homeless
Why does he have a dog anyway? Why doesn’t he get a job or
At least go to a shelter for help, Instead of begging.
“Am I my brother’s
keeper?” We ask, as we switch the channel
So we don’t have to see the ad, About children in Africa
Dying of diseases that are unheard of, In our cozy little town
It’s a rhetorical question, We think we know the answer
It’s “no” as far as we’re concerned, Organizations like World Vision or Unicef
Will take care of the dying children, It’s not our concern
We have Reality TV we need to watch, So we flip the channel again.
“Am I my brother’s
keeper?” It’s not a rhetorical question
It’s a real question, An important question
It’s a question Jesus has answered, The answer is “YES”
The King said, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one
of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’
I am my brothers’ keeper And my sisters’ keeper
We are all responsible for each other
We all need to love our neighbors, And
keep our brothers from harm.”
(Linda Kruschke)