A Camp Staff testimony…
“God has been teaching me a lot about faith and what it really means to trust Him. I’ve always put a lot of importance on feeling the Lord’s presence, but I’m learning that I don’t always have to feel Him to know that He’s there. God has been showing me that His presence can also be seen through the people around me, in the way they love, serve, encourage, and care for others. I’ve seen so many little moments this summer where I’ve been reminded that God is working through the people He has placed around me. Because of that, I’ve been learning that faith isn’t really a feeling, it’s trust. Trusting that God is with me even when I don’t feel Him, and trusting that He’s still working even when I can’t see it. I don’t always need some big feeling or moment to know that God is there. Sometimes I just need to have faith and trust Him!”
The Life of Abel.
“When Eve gave birth to Cain, she said, ‘With the LORD’s help, I have produced a man!’ Later she gave birth to his brother and named him Abel.”
– Genesis 4:1b-2
Welcome to a new series on WLF! Don’t worry, this one won’t be nearly as long as Life of a King. For the next few months, we’re jumping into the Bible. Each week, we’ll do a short case study on a young person in Scripture who lived for God’s glory. We’ll ask ourselves what they did, but more importantly, why they did it, what role God played in their life, and how we can follow their example.
The idea for this series came from camp. This summer, I saw many of my peers giving their all for Jesus. It was amazing. I don’t want that to be an “only at camp” experience. So, I’m bringing their stories to WLF, with the hope that they’ll encourage you. As part of each post, you’ll get to read a testimony/story from a Camp Staff member, found in the gold box.
I also felt God leading me to direct my next series at teenagers and young people. I find that I grow by learning from others and seeing how God is using them.
I should insert an important caveat before we begin. Yes, we’re looking at “The story of Abel” today, but he isn’t the main character. The more I study Scripture, the more I see that it’s all about God. Sure, Bible characters do great things when used by God, but it isn’t their story. When I say, “Let’s learn about Abel today,” know that I really mean, “Let’s learn how God used Abel today.”
With that in mind, let’s jump in. I can’t wait to see how God used young(er) people for His glory. The fact that God wants to use us, no matter our age, should inspire us to action.
Today we’re using five ‘A’ words to learn about…
Abel
Abel’s Actions.
The story of Abel (the fourth human in Scripture) is short. He’s the second child of Adam & Eve. He’s also a shepherd. We could call Abel the forerunner to David, who shared his profession.
Come harvest time, Abel and his brother Cain bring a portion of their work to God as a sacrifice. Cain presents some of his crops, while Abel brings the best firstborn lambs from his flock. The LORD accepts Abel’s offering, but rejects Cain’s.
Shortly thereafter, Cain suggests that he and Abel go into the fields. Cain murders Abel in his fury and is banished from the land. Not a happy ending.
Abel’s Attitude.
Cain’s first error wasn’t a lack of generosity; it was a lack of appreciation for God. Abel gave God his very best. Abel’s sacrifice cost him; Cain’s didn’t. Abel knew God deserved the best he had. Cain didn’t seem to understand that.
Abel’s Affliction.
When Cain saw that God wouldn’t accept his offering, he was very angry. Then God spoke to Him. (Pause and reflect on that: God spoke to Cain.) The LORD warned him that, “Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and become its master” (Genesis 4:7b). I know we’re not studying Cain, but this verse hit home.
Sin is always crouching at the door. It’s one self-centred choice away, one bad swipe on your phone, one moment of anger. We can’t run from sin. It’s outside the door. If we want to conquer sin, we need to consciously subdue it. Pray, get accountability, set restrictions, and strive to make the right choices.
Cain did not make the right choice.
Abel’s Answer.
In future posts, we’ll see how Bible characters responded to trials or challenges. Unfortunately, Abel doesn’t get much of a response. The only thing I can get from the text is that there’s no mention of Abel fighting back. Abel and Jesus have this in common. Neither fought back, even though they were unjustly murdered.
Abel’s Aftermath.
In the wake of Abel’s death, Cain is banished. The LORD hears, “Your brother’s blood crying out to Me from the ground” (Genesis 4:10b). On that day, Adam and Eve lose both of their sons.
This could’ve been the end of humanity. God could’ve said, “Well, you got what you deserved. You sinned. Now both your sons are dead. You failed.” That’s not the God we worship. Eve has another son, Seth, and he grows up to have a son named Enosh. The chapter ends by saying, “At that time people first began to worship the LORD by name” (Genesis 4:26b).
Our Application.
I’ve reflected on what people will say at my funeral. If they summed up my life in a sentence, what would it be? In Abel’s case, he was only given a few short years to live. Yet his legacy has lasted for millennia. You could say about Abel, “He gave God his best.”
Abel was willing to sacrifice for God. He sacrificed his best sheep, the meat he could’ve enjoyed, and even his life. If we want to follow Abel’s example, we must be willing to make sacrifices for God. He sacrificed His life for us, after all.
Here’s today’s reflection question. I invite you to bring it into your prayer time or to journal through it.
In what area of your life is God asking you
to make a sacrifice so you can know Him even better?
That closes the first chapter of this series. I know it ends on a quick flat note, but I promise this is an exception. I chose to start with Abel as a reminder that life is short. We don’t know how long we’ve got. I don’t mean we should recklessly live every day as if it is our last, but it offers a new perspective. Are we using our time well, knowing that we don’t know how long we have?
The example Abel set endured until the days of Jesus. I’ll leave you with the words of the Apostle Paul to Timothy, found in 1 Timothy 4:12…
“Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.”
I'd love to hear from you!