At the Door
“And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.”Genesis 4:6–7 (KJV)
The first family had the first sibling rivalry, and it went as badly as it could. Cain’s offering was not accepted, and Abel’s was. Cain didn’t ask what was wrong. He got angry, and his face fell.
God came to him before anything happened. “And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?” Then a warning: “If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door.”
Picture it. Sin waiting at the door like an animal, ready to come in. Anger doesn’t usually do the damage right away. It sits there, growing, until one day it acts. God’s word to Cain is still his word to us: “And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.”
Families are where anger crouches most often: between brothers and sisters, parents and kids, husbands and wives. If you’ve got a grudge sitting at the door of your home, deal with it today, while it is still at the door.
Read it yourself
Read Genesis 4:1–12. What question does Cain ask the LORD in verse 9?
Is there anger toward someone in your family that has been crouching at the door?
Lord, show me the anger I’ve let sit at the door. Help me rule over it before it rules my home. Amen.