Abel – Wounded Butterflies

Psalm 100 is a familiar Psalm to many. It is heard more this time of year, as we approach Thanksgiving in the United States.

This is the Psalm of Thanksgiving. But what does it mean and what are God’s promises to our offerings of praise?

A psalm of thanksgiving.

¹Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth!
²    Worship the Lord with gladness.
    Come before him, singing with joy.
³Acknowledge that the Lord is God!
    He made us, and we are his.
    We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
⁴Enter his gates with thanksgiving;
    go into his courts with praise.
    Give thanks to him and praise his name.
⁵For the Lord is good.
    His unfailing love continues forever,
    and his faithfulness continues to each generation.

This Psalm directs us to approach our Lord full of joy, gratitude and with gladness. As we approach His gates we cry out, “Thank you Lord!” The gates open wide so we can enter with thanksgiving and go into His courts with praise. We are to enter His presence with singing and shouting, giving thanks with each step we take. We have much to be grateful for, the Lord is good! His unfailing love continues forever! His promise to us is that His faithfulness will continue to each generation. What an incredible Lord we have! As we pause to reflect on all the blessings He has poured into our lives, may our hearts be filled with gratitude and our words full of thankfulness.

Let’s pray. Father in heaven, we thank You that You love us. Thank You for the many blessings that You give us each day. You woke us up today and give us air to breathe and a heart that beats. Please help us to go about our day, cheerfully, with hearts full of love and thanksgiving. We know that all we have is Yours. Thank You for blessing us and please use us to bless others. In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

In Genesis, there is a story of two brothers who both offer God a sacrifice. One brother’s sacrifice is accepted and the other’s is not. In chapter 4 of Genesis starting in verse 1, we read, “Now Adam had sexual relations with his wife, Eve, and she became pregnant. When she gave birth to Cain, she said, “With the Lord’s help, I have produced a man!” ²Later she gave birth to his brother and named him Abel. When they grew up, Abel became a shepherd, while Cain cultivated the ground. ³When it was time for the harvest, Cain presented some of his crops as a gift to the Lord. ⁴Abel also brought a gift—the best portions of the firstborn lambs from his flock. The Lord accepted Abel and his gift, ⁵but he did not accept Cain and his gift. This made Cain very angry, and he looked dejected. ⁶“Why are you so angry?” the Lord asked Cain. “Why do you look so dejected? ⁷You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out!”

There is one word in these verses that makes the difference. In verse 3, we read that Cain presented “some of his crops” as a gift to the Lord. Whereas in verse 4, we read thatAbel brought the “best portions of the firstborn lambs” from his flock. There is a big difference between ‘some’ and the ‘best of the firstborn’.

The firstborn males, to include animals, were the Lord’s. Not only did Abel bring the best of his flock, but he also ensured that his gift was the best from the firstborns. Abel’s gift showed his love and respect for the Lord. His gift shows he feels what a joy it is to give to the Lord. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 9:7 that the Lord loves a cheerful giver. God knows our hearts and minds and whether we are giving out of joy and love or obligation and guilt.

Let’s pray. Father in heaven, we thank You that You love us. Please help us to give to Your kingdom cheerfully with hearts full of love and thanksgiving. We know that all we have is Yours. Thank You for blessing us and please use us to bless others. In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.