Candygram!

Yep. I know what you watched in the 80's! Saturday Night Live. Me too. It was a show with very funny skits. One very famous skit was written around the time the movie "Jaws" was released. It would have people sitting in their home and the doorbell would ring. They would ask who was there and the "person" on the other side of the door would say, "Candygram". When the person opened the door, it was a "landshark" and the person would get eaten by the shark. Pretty funny. Well, this is God's version of the landshark in our lives. In Genesis 4:7, God began to deal with the issue of Cain's disobedience in the offering he gave to the Lord. He encourages him to repent. A neat thing about God is that He always gives us a way out. As a matter of fact, in I Corinthians 10:13 we read, "No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it." God always shows us the way out. He doesn't want you to sin!!! He's not trying to test you to see if you will!! As a matter of fact, here we see Him reaching out to Cain. He was reasoning with him and warning him...there is a landshark at your door. It wants to devour you! In this case it's not a funny skit. It's the truth. Sin wants to destroy you. God made it plain to Cain. If...you don't do well (obey) - then...sin crouching at your door will destroy you. Sin, here, means missing the mark - like an archer. The door is the way into our heart and life. When we disobey God, we open the door to sin. Sin is a wicked monster just waiting to pounce. Picture sin sitting just on the other side of a door from you. It is patiently waiting for you to open the door and let it in. Sin can't open that door, only you can. Remember Eve's encounter with the devil? The devil couldn't just come in and take the garden over. He didn't have the authority. He needed the one in authority to let him in. Eve gave him that authority by giving in to the temptation. God told Cain that he could "rule over it (sin)". Even in the Old Testament, man had the ability to resist the devil. How? James 4:7 says to do two things. Submit yourself to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you. Cain didn't repent. He dug his heels in all the more. This one decision led to a hardened heart that eventually killed his brother. Guilt will do that to you. Careful, saint! Keep your heart. Resist!