Day 3 | Cain

God created the heavens and the earth and said that it is good. He created man and woman and said they are very good, valued, and created with a purpose. They disobeyed God and were sent out of the garden, but God gave them hope: eventually, a Savior would come.

But disobedience was still in the world. Cain, Adam and Eve’s firstborn son, was a farmer. Abel, their second son, was a shepherd. Adam and Eve and their children had a relationship with God, but it wasn’t the way it was in the garden. There was a separation that hadn’t been there before.

All the religions of the world focus on what we can do to earn a spot in God’s presence. Our mistake is when we assume the same—that the things we do will earn acceptance and favor from God.

God said that would never be enough, and that’s why he sent his son Jesus to die on a cross for our sins. It is through that sacrifice—neither an offering of first fruits, as Cain offered, nor an offering of an animal, as Abel offered—that our relationship with God can be restored.

Prayer: Dear God, I’m sorry for thinking I can work and strive my way into your presence. All you want is a relationship with me, and you made that possible through Jesus Christ. I want that relationship with you! Amen.