Greater Love
Posted by Karah
Pause
Listen to a worship song to begin your quiet time. Ask God to open your eyes to those He places in your path today.
Think about a time when someone reached out to you in kindness or a time when someone failed to do so. What difference does it make when someone cares for another? Journal your response.
“Then the Lord said to Cain, ‘Where is your brother Abel?’ ‘I don’t know,’ he replied. ‘Am I my brother’s guardian?’ —Genesis 4:9
Return to Genesis 4:1-10 and skim over the passage. Then, focus on verse 9. Think through these questions:
Read Cain’s response to God in verse 9 aloud. What words would you use to describe his attitude toward God as reflected in that answer?
Cain and Abel were brothers. God had placed them in a relationship that involved mutual respect, love, and care. Cain had a responsibility to honor and protect Abel, and he chose the opposite. In what way has your attitude toward others been like Cain’s?
We live in a world full of people who truly care about others. But as believers, how does the redemption we’ve received from Christ make our compassion toward others different?
The Point
Because of Christ’s redemption, we have the ability to love and care for others with a depth that people don’t have apart from Him.
Respond
As Christians, our lives are not solely about ourselves and our needs. We have a responsibility to love, care for, and share the good news with the world around us.
Ask God to help you notice people who need compassion and kindness. Go out of your way this week to care for them, even when it’s inconvenient or unpleasant.
The early Christians showed God’s love during plagues that swept through the Roman Empire. Look up the selfless ways Christians cared for the sick during the plagues, then consider ways you can show others love because of Christ’s redemptive work in you. Record three ideas you’ll put into practice in your journal.
Behind the Story
God’s question to Cain in verse 9 wasn’t a request for information. God knew what Cain had done and asked the question to give Cain an opportunity to repent. It echoes the question God asked Adam in the garden (Gen. 3:9), tying both acts of disobedience together. Scholars say this is to show us that Cain’s murderous act had its antecedents in Adam’s sin.
Posted in Boys, Devotions | Tagged Camp Ridgecrest Alumni and Friends, Camp Ridgecrest for Boys, Reprinted from ec magazine. © 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Used by permission., Weekly Devotions