Jealosy

Dear Heavenly Father, Yahweh Elohim. You who see all hearts and know what is in them and why we do everything we do. I read Your word in Genesis this morning where it says: "Then Yahweh said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it." (Gen 4:6-7, NIV).

Cain did not master it, he went rashly out and killed his brother because he allowed jelousy to consume him. He trusted himself above Yahweh. And saw his own predicament as totally unfair and allowed his anger to be satisfied by destroying the one who had received favour. He was the first to make the mistake that humans have been prone to make ever since. He thought his right to live and be accepted was based in his own self. That by virtue of being a human he could do as he pleased and still have the right to be accepted. You corrected him Yahweh, and warned him that only when we do what is right can we humans ever be acceptable to you.

We have no rights, no claims to Your acceptance by virtue of being Your creation. All we can do is learn to function as You would have us be, or be discarded. Your mercy is great, patient, caring, and longsuffering, but we have no right to it except Your deciding to take care of us, and You do that faithfully. So when Cain had disregarded You completely, you still did not destroy him, but saved him from death. What could Cain boast of? Nothing, he was a failure who was allowed to keep breathing and continuing, but not with the same blessings as before. Why not? Because you know us humans Father, in and out, what would Cain's heart do with any blessing bestowed upon it? It would stay proud, stay ungrateful and devour them upon his own lusts and share with no-one and his desires would never be satisfied. Because his heart was not interested in anything but his own well-being, he would only be a curse in everything he would succeed in.

Your words still stand true to all even today who feel as Cain did: "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it." All who feel like you are being unfair to them, who feel left out of all that is good, who feel they ought to have a better 'deal'. You want them all. You said to us: "Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost" (Isa 55:1, NIV).

What was the 'right' that you asked Cain to do? To rely on You, to accept Your living waters without cost. To not try to manage and ensure his own survival, but to instead be dependent. The whole point is that it is free and costs nothing. All it takes is asking and accepting Your answers. Martha too got distressed when trying to manage. She said to Your Son: "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" (Luke 10:40, NIV).

I noticed that she said "Lord" and yet she was telling Yah'shua what to do. And You said that calling you Lord, Lord, won't be enough, it takes doing what is right. It takes that leaning on You, and neither doing anything You have not asked, nor refusing to do what You say. Simple yet hard, Father, but I know it is safe. Your reply to being bossed around was spoken by Yah'shua: "Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." (Luke 10:41-42, NIV).

Was Mary His favourite? No. Martha would have the exact same protection if the roles were reversed. It was not a matter of who was doing what, but a matter of what was going on. Mary already sat at His feet, and was hearing You, Father. Why wasn't Martha doing that? Because another master was claiming her time. The one that said: "oh you won't be a good person unless you make sure! You won't have life unless you pay for it! You need to take care of things or nothing will go well." She believed she had to make it on her own. Cain believed he should make it on his own. And both believed You would support them in that.

Father, the rage of that master is scary. It is easy to try to appease Cains and Marthas, because the spirit that elovates them into headship position is a killer. And he wants no-one to rest in You Father. But You comfort those who love you and hear You, and you promise that what is good won't be taken away from them. The best is given to all who come to You, and You protect them. You tend to their needs and you hear their blood and you never dismiss anyone who turns to You.

Father, I will do what is right and pray that all who hear this will do the same, and just sit down and listen to You, follow Your instructions and be content. Then the storm can keep raging, but it can never enter into Your presence! I will cling to You, Father, and be Your child, and listen only to Your authority, ever... That is where life, shalom and everything good is found. "The Ruach and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life." (Rev 22:17, NIV).

Those who read this, Father, and think I have an 'holier than thou' attitude, please Father, open their eyes so they can see that I and them are the same in Your eyes - that You want them, and all they need is to want You too, and to obey that desire. Your ways are too simple for the proud, Father, too demeaning for a co-lord. Well, all I have done is to accept that I need You - not just in 'bigger matters' but in every detail. I am not your equal, Father. But I am Your daughter. And I obey the authorities You have given to take care of me. And I love it! My choice is simple.. everyone can make the same. And I know that pride won't like me. But then again, satan doesn't like anyone, and he has no plan for those who obey him. Just like Martha was only distressed while doing that, so will all who follow him be thirsty, hungry, frustrated and angry whenever they see what they lack and notice that others have it.

The solution is NOT to destroy the recepient of what You give, but to do what is right and get it too. That is the way to master sin. You said it right from the start, Father, and we can decide to hear You like Mary did, or else we will let pride consume us like Cain did. The Bible lets us know what You will do if we decide to allow that: "Yahweh detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished" (Prov 16:5, NIV).

Please just come. It is safe, good and wonderful! Those who already have come will recognise Your words and understand me.

Author: J.Larsen - Copyright (c) 2006 MLT - All Rights Reserved