Acceptable Offerings

The Lord accepted Abel and his offering, but he did not accept Cain and his offering.  This made Cain very angry and dejected. (Genesis 4:4-5 NLT).

    Why did God accept Abel's offering and reject the offering presented by Cain?  Is God being unfair?  Is He showing favoritism?  What can we learn from the experience of Cain and Abel?
     Recently I heard of a deceased person who offered one quarter of her estate to the church.  The executor of the estate informed the church of the offering and presented the board with a list of stipulations as to how the monies should be dispersed.  It was obvious that certain requirements had to be met by the church body in order for the monies to be allocated.
    Could this have been the problem involving Cain and his offering?  It seems obvious that Cain wanted to worship God in his own way  without taking into consideration what God wanted from him. He did not ask God, "What kind ofoffering do you want me to bring?"  He proceeded to approach God with preconceived ideas of worship that revealed the arrogance and pride in his heart.  His offering reflected an attitude of self-centeredness and disregarded God's mercy and goodness.
     Like Cain, many people today bring offerings to God that are unacceptable.  Any offering that boasts of pride is unacceptable.  Offerings that are less than our best are repugnant to God.  We often sing, "Give our best to the master," but our hearts respond by giving only a token offering of the leftovers of our lives.  What kind of offering does God really want from us?
    The offering God wants most is our heart, dedicated and fully open to Him.  He wants you and me to release our talents, gifts, and abilities to him.  Why don't you ask him what kind of sacrifice he wants from you?  The answer might surprise you.  Make list of the kinds of offerings God wants you to bring.

Thought for the Day: God's offering of his Son, Jesus Christ, was a total offering of Himself.