Take 3 deep breaths and count to...

Take 3 deep breaths and count to _. Yup, we can finish it off. Count to ten. Why this pause? Most secular cousellors will stay that this ten second pause will give you time to collect your thoughts and think about the possible consequences of what you are wanting to do when angry.
I, think, as Christian, that taking some time during anger for silencing your thoughts of anger is an invitation to let someone else speak to you. Truly I think two people speak in this self- silence: Satan and God. Satan speaks in an appealing way to entice you to carry out the sinful action. "Yeah, Naomi. You should do that. It's not hurting anyone. You deserve it after a long, hard day. It's normal to feel that way. It's a natural part of being human. Nothing is wrong with it. " And God on the other hand speaks His promises.

Genesis 4:7

"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."

Wow! This is a beautiful promise! This is the story of Cain, Abel, and God. Here God is speaking to Cain who is angry at his brother Abel.  And God speaks to Cain right before he even commits the murder. Yeah, Cain is probably pondering and harboring sinful anger in his heart, but Cain receives a promise from God. The promise is that Cain shall rule over the sin that lieth at the door.

Synopsis:
Cain went against God's plan, and God did not accept it. Cain got angry and jealous. God approached Cain and told him his sin and offered help. Cain rejected the help and got in more trouble and tried to hide it. God takes away the very thing that Cain misused. Cain then felt the pain, expressed it to God, and God had MERCY.


Extra Comments
Cain took out Abel.
God took out the misused talent.
Cain's attempt to solve the problem was to get rid of Abel. Short term fixture. God who gave the gift of gardening, took away the gift of gardening because it was the source of the problem.

1. Misuse of Talent
2. Dissapproval by God
3. Anger and Jealousy
4. God sees and offers help
5. Cain does Cain's will
6. Consequences result
7. Cain is sorry
8. God has mercy

Overall Theme: God's ways are the best ways.

Challenge: Live it out!

God has blessed me with many talents. Will I value them more than I value God? Will it come to the point that God takes away the talents He purposed me to have because I am doing more wrong with them than the good He planned I should do?

When I sin, do I listen for the promises of God?

How do I get to the point where I apply the principle that God's ways are best? I hear about it, I read about it, and I even WRITE about it? How do I live it? I live it when I surrender daily to God. I live it when I wake up in the morning and put Him first even if means being late to a class perchance my alarm did not go off. I live it when I put Him foremost in all thing, not just when God is conveniant. Living it means that I still read and study my Bible even when I have absolutely no desire and maybe even anger to even open up the Bible.
"For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart." His word is ALIVE and active when I am dead.
Living it means listening to the still small voice that offers direction and order for my steps. It means praying my head off when temptation crawls in. It means knowing and believing His promise are true.

This story makes me love God more. He doesn't give Cain what he deserves. But I love God because He still wants to help my stubborn heart. He wants to hold me in heaven and tell me how much He loves me. He wants to walk with me. I was created by God and for God, but He lets me choose. How could I not love you? Sin wants me, but you want me even more. Please speak to me.