Devotion

Theme: Rage Rips off Your Glory
Text: Genesis 4:6-24

Memory Verse ~ Genesis 4:9
 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?”
He said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”

Our devotion today is on Cain. He is the first son of the fallen man Adam. He had a brother, Abel whose offering the Lord preferred over his and rage birth in him towards his little brother.
Rage is a violent uncontrollable anger. It emanates from the mind and takes control over the reasoning power in distinguishing between wrong and right. For this reason the Lord in the sixth and seventh verses cautioned Cain. The GNTA Bible version puts it: Then the Lord said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why that scowl on your face?
 If you had done the right thing, you would be smiling; but because you have done evil, sin is crouching at your door. It wants to rule you, but you must overcome it."

If Cain had listen to the Lord, he wouldn't have killed his only brother by then. He never became remorseful for committing sin because that rage remained with him and so when asked the where about of his brother he gave a scornful reply in the ninth verse. Beloved, this rage might be manifesting itself in your family, organization, church and nation which is retarding growth. Unlike Cain that shared an innocent blood, this rage might be manifesting in the above areas of your life where nothing is fruitful. Where you're to be recommended, you're condemned. Where you are to be celebrated, you're disgraced. Where you're to smile for victory, you're weeping or mourning over defeat. You need to rise up and put an end to this rage in every sphere of your life.

Understand that, the ground no longer yielded its strength for Cain. That's the ground is unproductive, it has no place of rest for him (fugitive) and violence shall be a companion to Cain as he has no home (vagabond). One thing Cain didn't get well there was that, no one can run away from the Lord for He is omnipresent (Psalm 139:7-12).  There's a mark on you that identifies you as a child of God. Likewise, there are evil marks from the pit of hell on those who fail to turn to the Lord. This mark manifest in your character and attitude. For Christ said we will know them (false and evil men) by their fruit (Matthew 7:16-18).

Cain settled on the east of Eden (Nod) and made family there. By the fourth generation, this rage manifested itself again. Lamech killed a man for wounding him. And he stated clearly, it was a young man. What was the crime of this young man?  He had hurt Lamech. This young man, might have hurt Lamech unintentionally or probably, in sharing jokes with him, he uttered a word out of place. The sin of old always tries to find it way back into the  generation (Matthew 12:43-45). The only way to avert this misfortune is to rely on the saving power of Christ.

Prayer: Abba Father, I  acknowledge my sins and that of my family, organization, church and nation for holding on to rage for a long time now. Forgive us and set us free from the grips of rage. Let Your love rule in our mind and heart even now and forevermore in Jesus name. AMEN!