The Principle for Divine Acceptance

The Principle for Divine Acceptance

So the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. – Genesis 4:6-7

Our meditation today shall be on what makes for or facilitates divine acceptance.

The best place to be is usually on the side of God. But we cannot say that we are on the LORD’s side when God is not on our side. It takes two to tango; two cannot walk together unless they share agreement or have things in common (Amos 3:3).

Therefore, merely saying that “I am a child of God” because one goes to church may not be enough reason to assume God has our back. As with every relationship, there are terms governing maintaining a relationship with God, with expectations on His side, even as we have our own expectations. So, while being on God’s side is beneficial, it is more important to be sure that God is also on our side and we are not just assuming His alliance.

Our reference passage today reveals one of the principles that would make God to consider pitching on the side of a mortal. In context, Cain and Abel, his brother, had just offered a sacrifice to God. However, while God accepted the offering of Abel, He pointedly rejected that of Cain.

This did not go down well with Cain, and it showed in his attitude. He became very angry and sad at the time. Perhaps, he might have started acting out his attitude which made God concerned enough to reach out to him, and the conversation below ensued:

God spoke to Cain: “Why this tantrum? Why the sulking? If you do well, won’t you be accepted? And if you don’t do well, sin is lying in wait for you, ready to pounce; it’s out to get you, you’ve got to master it.”  – Genesis 4:6-7 (The Message)

This conversation revealed a principle that we all need to have God on our side. God said Cain would have been accepted if he did the right thing. Conversely, this means the rejection of Cain was because he did not do the right thing. God evaluated his offering and concluded that Cain did not do right in terms of the kind or quality of the offering.

By virtue of this rejection, this meant that Cain would be isolated from God and not have Him for company; a very terrible place to be for anyone. Cain obviously realized the gravity of the situation; hence, the reason he was furious.

Another implication of not having God for company is that such a person becomes vulnerable, because the divine hedge that shields those on the LORD’s is not in place. That was why God cautioned Cain to be careful as his problem might not just end at being rejected, but he was also susceptible to sin and its devastating effects.

Now, for Cain it was the quality of his offering that God used to evaluate and adjudge that he did not do well. As far as metrics are concerned, God is the one who decides what criteria He uses to determine who does well and who does not. So, while we are better off having Him on our side at all times, to achieve that, we must be deliberate in doing well – do well by God and do well by fellow humans. That is the secret to divine acceptance.

You Will Succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:

• The Benefits of Wisdom: Global Icon
• Men in the Bible: The First Man to be Angry
• When Life Squeezes You
• He Showed Me He Was Right There

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