Walk With Me - Devotionals: Angus Macdonald

The Lord Is Good

Angus Macdonald — Fri, 29 Jul 2022 00:00:00 +0100

The Lord Is Good

Reader: Angus Macdonald

Date: 29th July 2022

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Nahum, the man who wrote the book that bears his name, was like many of the other prophets, content to stay in the background so that God and the truth of God would be in the foreground. So we know very little about Nahum himself but he shows us many helpful facts about the one true and holy God.

The Lord is good. That is a very strong statement and one that must have helped God's people when they heard this. You see, God's people were living in a very cruel and ugly world. Nahum writes about the city/state of Nineveh — a beautiful city but built on cruelty and aggression. In contrast to that, God is very different — He is good, he is powerful, someone to whom his people can turn in their days of trouble and find safety in him; he is like a strong tower which can stand solid against the enemy's attacks. Christians need such a strong and good God if they are to survive when Satan and his crew of tempters come against them. To live as a Christian is not easy but Nahum tells us that not only is God good (he uses a strong word) and powerful, he also knows those who take refuge in him. When Nahum says God knows these people he means that God fully understands their problems and temptations and so can help them in just the way they need. That is great to know.

Prayer

Dear Lord, you know the temptations that I face and how easily I can yield to them. Please help me to stay close to you and to fight the tempter. Amen.

Let Us All Sing To The Lord

Angus Macdonald — Tue, 26 Jul 2022 00:00:00 +0100

Let Us All Sing To The Lord

Reader: Angus Macdonald

Date: 26th July 2022

Passage: Psalm 27:6

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Do you like to sing? Often people say 'O, I can't sing'. But that may be just an excuse! We can all sing and we should sing praise to our God, even if our singing may not be very tuneful! Singing praise to God is an essential part not only of our church services but also when we are alone — we make melody in our hearts to the Lord who has done so much for us.

David who wrote many psalms loved singing. From the time he was a boy he loved composing songs and with the accompaniment of his harp (today it would have been a guitar) he wrote many of the Psalms we still sing today (E.g. Psalm 23) Singing is a wonderful God-given gift for expressing our emotions, whether happy or sad. In church, our congregational singing should be a powerful expression of our sincere worship of the Lord our God "Oh sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvellous things" (Psalm 98:1) "I will sing of steadfast love and justice; to you, O Lord, I will make music," said David in Psalm 101:1. "I will sing to the Lord as long as I live". (Psalm 104:33)

Sadly, sometimes we don't take our singing in church seriously enough: we allow our thoughts to wander and we just 'mouth' the words but think very little about what we are actually singing. We forget we are worshipping God. Let's have the enthusiasm of David and sing from the heart — gladly!

Prayer

Bless the Lord O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! (Psalm 103:1)

When God Speaks

Angus Macdonald — Sat, 23 Jul 2022 00:00:00 +0100

When God Speaks

Reader: Angus Macdonald

Date: 23rd July 2022

Passage: Leviticus 1:1

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When you read through the Book of Leviticus you soon become very familiar with these words, "The Lord spoke to Moses". All the direction for worship and the people's life as they travelled from Egypt to the promised land of Canaan were given when God spoke to Moses. We don't know exactly just how God did speak to Moses but Moses was very conscious of God's words to him and he carried out God's instructions in a most impressive way.

In a very real sense the whole Bible comes to us as from God's voice. The author of the book of Hebrews tells us, "Long ago at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son" (Hebrews 1:1). That is why we often refer to the Bible as God's Word. And just as Moses obeyed when God spoke to him, so we too must obey when God speaks to us as we read the Bible and think about what it is saying to us.

In the earliest pages of the Bible we read about God speaking at the creation of the world and when he spoke immediately things happened. For example in Genesis 1:3 we read "And God said , 'Let there be light' and there was light." God's words were in a very real way 'doing words'. He spoke and immediately things happened.

Now there is a challenge for you and me — to do what God tells us to do as we read our Bibles — and do it right away!

Prayer

Dear Lord, help me to hear your voice as I read your word and help me to obey it. Amen.

Walking In God's Faithfulness

Angus Macdonald — Wed, 20 Jul 2022 00:00:00 +0100

Walking In God's Faithfulness

Reader: Angus Macdonald

Date: 20th July 2022

Passage: Psalm 26:3

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Some of the greatest adventure stories through the centuries have involved people walking over such dangerous terrain as scorching deserts, high mountains, dense and sinister forests. The Bible itself tells of many adventurous journeys, very especially the journey of the children of Israel from Egypt to the promised land of Canaan.

David, the writer of Psalm 26 pictured himself on a journey, walking with God. He uses interesting words to tell us about his life. As he travels with God, David wants to be like God — God's steadfast committed love to him is the kind of love he aims to have in his own life. He wants his character to reflect the character of God.

David is also very aware of God's presence in his life, as if God were directing his footsteps all his journey through. "I walk in your faithfulness" he said. We read the same thing earlier in the Bible when God told Abraham to walk with him. There was to be a definite close relationship between the two of them. David was conscious of this too. God, the faithful God, the loving God walked with him to direct him in the way he should go. By his Holy Spirit in us as Christians God has that guiding help for us as well.

Prayer

Dear Lord, may I rejoice in your steadfast love and faithful guidance each day of my life. Amen.

More Precious Than Rubies

Angus Macdonald — Sun, 17 Jul 2022 00:00:00 +0100

More Precious Than Rubies

Reader: Angus Macdonald

Date: 17th July 2022

Passage: Proverbs 3:15

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People are fascinated by jewels. Crowns and coronets are often full of precious stones set in gold and silver to make them especially valuable. Rubies often go with diamonds to give contrasting colour to the sheer brightness of the diamonds. To the writer of the book of Proverbs, precious jewels were the best way he could use to describe wisdom. Wisdom is not the same as cleverness or smartness — some very clever people may be very bad people! But the wise person is a good person. The book of Proverbs gives lots of examples of what a wise person looks like. The wise person is careful, discerning, humble and above all loves God and trusts God with his very life.

The New Testament shows us that Jesus Christ is the ideal of godly wisdom and it is from him that we receive the wisdom to love and follow God. And all of this is very precious — like rubies. It is precious because it shows us the good life that is pleasing to God and also makes us truly satisfied.

Don't be fooled into thinking that being wise is just keeping up with the times, thinking like the people around you. The path of true wisdom is liking the things God likes and doing the things God wants you to do . God wants you to be wise, so he is ready to help you to be wise; to become more like Jesus - the wisest person who ever lived. That really is precious.

Prayer

Dear Lord, give me the wisdom that is from above, pure, peaceable, gentle and open to reason (James 3:15). Amen.

The Storms Of Life

Angus Macdonald — Thu, 14 Jul 2022 00:00:00 +0100

The Storms Of Life

Reader: Angus Macdonald

Date: 14th July 2022

Passage: Acts 27:14

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July can give us hot sunny days and warm winds. But in winter we can have a period of storms. So often during such times the cold, wind and rain, sleet or snow get people moaning about the terrible weather. The warm sunny days of summer are soon forgotten!

Nowadays names are often given to big rough storms. The wind mentioned in the verse at the top of the page also had a name which is described as 'the north-easter', but was name Eurakylon. Even today sailors in the region where Paul was in a ship know that they must be careful of this wind.

Storms are often described in the Bible and they can be pictures of what sometimes happens to us in our lives — storms of illness, sorrow, disappointment can overwhelm us and we need help comfort and encouragement so that we don't get shipwrecked, as happened to Paul on three occasions.

The Gospels tell us of a severe storm on the Sea of Galilee when Jesus was in a boat with his disciples. The disciples, most of them fishermen, thought they were going to drown until Jesus rose and 'rebuked' the wind and the waves and there was a great calm. That is a wonderful picture for us in our storms of life. Ask Jesus to help, share your burden with him and look for guidance and comfort in the Bible, the Word of God. He care for you and he loves you.

Prayer

Dear Lord, help me to commit my way to you when I feel bruised by the storms in my life. Amen.

Migratory Birds And Stubborn People

Angus Macdonald — Mon, 11 Jul 2022 00:00:00 +0100

Migratory Birds And Stubborn People

Reader: Angus Macdonald

Date: 11th July 2022

Passage: Jeremiah 8:7

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Twitchers are very keen bird-watchers. They will flock to any place where they can get a sighting of a strange-looking bird which may have got blown off its migratory course. Jeremiah certainly knew the habits of the storks, the turtledoves, the swallows and the cranes. These birds all flew over Jeremiah's land on their migration to the north and then to the south again. They knew just when it was time to do this.

Bird watching was one thing, but watching how God's people in Jeremiah's time were living showed a very sad picture. They stubbornly 'ran down the path of sin' (Verse 6). Our verse at the top of the page says 'they did not know what the Lord requires of them'. Of course they could tell you what God's laws were but they had no intimate concern for them — they stubbornly turned their backs on God. They listened to false prophets instead.

When people do that they end up disastrously. Sin is a very poor paymaster "The wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:2). Jeremiah warned the people about this; he pleaded, he wept and still they ignored him as he spoke God's call to sinners who kept running away from God. They didn't know what they were missing — the free gift of God's eternal life and the wonder of his grace and love.

Prayer

Dear Lord, I too have a stubborn heart. Turn me to yourself and to your ways. Amen.

Count Your Blessings

Angus Macdonald — Fri, 08 Jul 2022 00:00:00 +0100

Count Your Blessings

Reader: Angus Macdonald

Date: 8th July 2022

Passage: Psalm 21:3

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When we pray our prayers are so often filled with requests. We keep asking God for his help his guidance our 'daily bread' and so on.

Psalm 21, a psalm of David shows us a good corrective to our always asking God to give us things. David takes stock of where he is and begins to sing a song of thanksgiving to God. He began to count his blessings which God had given him — he says "You meet him with rich blessings".

David had become a king and there were certain things he needed to be a successful king and God supplied all of them. We of course will have different needs but have you taken some time just to look at what God has given to you; how he has answered your prayers and have you thanked him?

One has said, "A thankful heart has a continual feast". That is very true because thankfulness really spreads happiness and contentment into our lives. The apostle Paul (when in prison) said "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God" (Philippians 4:6). Paul was a great believer in giving thanks and what a difference that made to his life in spite of all the trials he endured! In Psalm 21 King David showed that same spirit of thankfulness.

Prayer

Dear Lord, help me to have a heart spilling over with gratitude for the many blessings I receive from you day by day. Amen.

The Glory Of The Lord

Angus Macdonald — Tue, 05 Jul 2022 00:00:00 +0100

The Glory Of The Lord

Reader: Angus Macdonald

Date: 5th July 2022

Passage: Exodus 40:34

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In the city where we live we are used to fireworks displays flood lit buildings and spectacular structures giving beautiful and bright displays of light.

The book of Exodus tells us that God made his presence known to his people by a special cloud by day and a fire by night and by a very special light which filled the place of worship into which the people would come to meet with God. This special light is described as the' glory of the Lord'. It must have been an awesome experience to have this spectacular light in the very centre of the place where the people of Israel camped on their journey to the Promised Land.

Many years after this this divine light shone in a different way. We read in 2 Corinthians 4:6 of 'the brightness of the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ' (NLT). So God has come to us in the very person of the Lord Jesus. Glorious!

But we also read that the Holy Spirit — the Spirit of the glorious presence of Jesus Christ lives in us if we are Christians (2 Timothy 1:14). Now we not only read about the glory of God, but something of that glory has come to direct our lives and light up the way that we should live. That indeed is glorious!

Prayer

Dear Lord, May the light of your glory be seen in my life today. Amen.

It Comes With A Guarantee

Angus Macdonald — Sat, 02 Jul 2022 00:00:00 +0100

It Comes With A Guarantee

Reader: Angus Macdonald

Date: 2nd July 2022

Passage: 2 Corinthians 1:22

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When you buy anything of value it nearly always comes with a guarantee. The maker's guarantee is his pledge that what you have bought works if not it will be replaced.

When we come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ we find that our salvation is a great work of God's grace and mercy. It is not something we have deserved - after all he only saves sinners! And when God saves us this comes with a guarantee. Indeed he gives us a double guarantee. First of all he puts his seal on us — that declares that we belong to him. Then he gives us his pledge or guarantee that what he promises will truly be ours. God does this by giving us the Holy Spirit to live in our hearts to help us day by day to live in a Christian way and to keep us looking forward to the life in God's nearer presence when we die. That life will be the wonderful fullness or completion of what life here as a Christian will be like.

Now this should be of great comfort and encouragement to us when we are facing difficulties — perhaps physical pain or the sadness of a loved one's death. The grace and the love of God never changes. The hard times don't mean we don't belong to him any more or that he is not pleased with us. His seal and his guarantee remain. We are his for keeps!

Prayer

Lord, help me always to keep in step with the Spirit you have given to me. Amen.

Who Does He Think He Is?

Angus Macdonald — Fri, 29 Apr 2022 00:00:00 +0100

Who Does He Think He Is?

Reader: Angus Macdonald

Date: 29th April 2022

Passage: Luke 4:16

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I was once asked to conduct a funeral in the village in which I was brought up in my early years. When I went into the room where the people were gathered I heard someone say, "Who is that?" A person answered, saying, "He is (my father's) son".

Jesus went back to the village where he had been brought up. People did know who he was; he had lived and worked there in Nazareth and he had obviously faithfully attended the synagogue services on the Sabbath days. It was obvious that Jesus had been educated to read the Scriptures, and he had probably taught the people as well. They were used to him in Nazareth, although he may have been away for some time. How strange then that when Jesus began to teach the people their reaction went from being pleased to being really hostile to him — so much so that they chased him out of town and even tried to kill him. Why was that?

It is a strange fact that people are often very happy to hear good Gospel preaching until they realise that if they were to really believe the claims of the Gospel their lives would be changed. Then they turn away from it as if to say to God (and the preacher), "Who do you think you are telling me to come and confess my sin?" There is too often an angry reaction to the Gospel. How sad the heart of Jesus must have been when he had to escape for his life from his own home village!

Prayer

Lord Jesus, may I never try to turn my back on the Gospel. Amen

He's Got The Whole World In His Hands

Angus Macdonald — Tue, 26 Apr 2022 00:00:00 +0100

He's Got The Whole World In His Hands

Reader: Angus Macdonald

Date: 26th April 2022

Passage: Revelation 1:8

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The world we live in can be a very scary place. There is so much violence, poverty and natural calamities that we wonder just what is going to happen to us in the future.

We read three times in the book of Revelation that God is the Alpha and Omega. Once in the Old Testament we read a similar phase: "I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God" (Isaiah 44:6).

What does all this mean for us? It means that the world we live in was created by God, it is still under the control of God and one day God will bring it to a place where he will create a new heavens and a new earth where there will be no more sin or death. Righteousness will be the order of the day.

So where does today's suffering and sadness fit in to this scheme of things? It is a reminder that we live in a world that is suffering the results of the terrible curse that sin has brought upon the whole world. However nothing is beyond the control of God — "He has the whole world in his hands" and one day he will show this in the glory and judgment that is yet to come.

Prayer

Almighty God, while we look for that glorious future, help us to witness for you today. Amen

'no Man Is An Island, Entire Of Itself' (John Donne)

Angus Macdonald — Sat, 23 Apr 2022 00:00:00 +0100

'no Man Is An Island, Entire Of Itself' (John Donne)

Reader: Angus Macdonald

Date: 23rd April 2022

Passage: 1 Corinthians 12:14

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We are all different. Some of us like to do things on our own while others like to do things in a group. However, there is one thing we cannot do on our own and that is to be a Christian. A Christian is not "an island, entire of itself." If that is our attitude then we will not survive as a Christian.

The apostle Paul spent a long time teaching us that the Christian is a member of a body (the church) a Christian is a member of a fellowship (the church); a Christian is a member of a family (the church). Just as our physical bodies are made up of several different limbs and they are all important, so each Christian is like a limb of the body, the church, and each is important. Fellowship is like the life-blood of the church. As Christians each one is united to Christ, and together we share in a love for Christ and for one another. God gives different jobs to different people in the church so that it can function well — like a good body — and it functions well when we all work together in a mutual love for one another.

Love is the hall-mark of the Christian Church. Perhaps the most familiar picture we have of the church is as the family of God. We know how sad it can be in a family if a son or daughter goes away and has nothing more to do with their family. It is a tragedy when that happens in the Christian family, too. If it does happen we must pray for that person's return. Love the family of God and thank him for your place in it as a believer in Jesus.

Prayer

Dear Lord, I thank you for the different people in my church. Help me to love them in Jesus' name. Amen

What A Great Example Of Humility!

Angus Macdonald — Wed, 20 Apr 2022 00:00:00 +0100

What A Great Example Of Humility!

Reader: Angus Macdonald

Date: 20th April 2022

Passage: Matthew 3:11

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It is very easy to feel proud. If we get a prize at school, or if we get a promotion at work — we get a boost by such things and we can become a bit conceited. But one of the great challenges for us as Christian people is to have a consistent humble life before God and other people. John the Baptist is a great example for us. He was said by Jesus to have been the greatest of the prophets, yet John said "He must increase but I must decrease" (John 3:30). John was willing to be like a lowly servant carrying Jesus' shoes as long as he could be a faithful preacher and prophet of God's word.

There is a very good reason for every Christian to be a humble Christian. Everything we have comes to us from God — not because we deserve it or have earned it, but because of God's grace. It is all the gift of God. We have nothing to boast about. In Bible times humility was despised. Slaves had to be humble before their masters but free people had to have a different spirit — even a haughty spirit. That is not the Christian way. God's word says, "Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble" (1 Peter 5:4). That was the spirit of John the Baptist, the greatest of all the prophets.

Prayer

Lord, humble me under your mighty hand as I serve you. Amen.

Very Much Better Than Junk Food!

Angus Macdonald — Sun, 17 Apr 2022 00:00:00 +0100

Very Much Better Than Junk Food!

Reader: Angus Macdonald

Date: 17th April 2022

Passage: Isaiah 55:1

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Day after day we are told that so-called junk food is bad for us. It makes us fat, and too much can cause all sorts of other health problems too. And we all like it!

Food was very important to the people in Bible times. God knew this and he built-in several feast days to the different important dates in his people's calendar. But sometimes food was short — perhaps the rains did not come, or locusts stripped all the trees and grass. People went hungry.

But in the text we have at the top of the page God is telling us of a great feast of good things for our souls — for our spiritual lives. There is no scarcity of food and drink, and it really satisfies, because it all comes from God. When Jesus came into our world he invited people to come to him, for he said, "I am the bread of life" (John 6:48) and "I am the water of life" (John 4:7 - 15). It is only in God's Son the Lord Jesus Christ that we find that which honestly satisfies our life and gives us lasting pleasure. This is because God knows our deepest needs and feels sad for us when he sees us wasting our lives on things that really cannot meet our soul's needs, but in reality can only end up in deceiving us and failing us. Life in all its fullness comes only from God in Jesus Christ. All the rest is junk food!

Prayer

Dear Lord, help me to come to you for the good things you have for me. Amen

It's Not All Good News

Angus Macdonald — Thu, 14 Apr 2022 00:00:00 +0100

It's Not All Good News

Reader: Angus Macdonald

Date: 14th April 2022

Passage: Isaiah 1:4

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If you listen to the news on the radio or television or read the newspapers you might think that the only news that gets reported is bad news — murders, abuse of one kind or another, political failures and so on and on. Bad news!

But just imagine if you went to church and the minister started his sermon in this way: "Shame! Misguided God-dropouts! Gang of miscreants, band of vandals... people who have turned their backs on me, their God... walked off and never looked back" (Isaiah 1:4, The Message). I'm sure you would be shocked. We don't like hearing things like that. Bad news.

That is just the message that God gave to his servant Isaiah to preach to the people in his day. God had become so disappointed with the way the people his people were living. They were just as bad as the people of Sodom and Gomorrah had been; immoral, selfish and just full of sin. This was shocking, and to be told that that was the way God saw the people must have shocked them.

How do you think God sees us? You? Does he see us as pure and clean and loving and eagerly walking in his ways? Let's take an honest look at ourselves through the searching gaze of God's Word the Bible. Isaiah said to the people "Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes" (1:16). The Apostle John wrote, "If we confess our sins,he (God) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).

The Everlasting Word

Angus Macdonald — Mon, 11 Apr 2022 00:00:00 +0100

The Everlasting Word

Reader: Angus Macdonald

Date: 11th April 2022

Passage: Psalm 90:2

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Isn't it difficult to think about what is everlasting? There never was a "time" when God wasn't there. So that means that the Bible word for everlasting, or eternal, (they mean the same) belong in the first place to God himself. Our Catechism tells us just what the Bible says: "God is a spirit — infinite eternal and unchangeable."

The Bible also tells us that God is pleased to share with us many of the great and good things which, because they come from him, are also everlasting. They come to us in and through God's own eternal Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

For example, God promises eternal life to all who believe in Jesus. This life comes to us because Jesus carried our sins to his cross and died in our place. God made an eternal (everlasting) covenant of salvation through the blood Jesus shed — a covenant that God will never break with all who trust in Jesus for their salvation. It is everlasting. This means that Christians look forward to everlasting life in heaven — a life that begins here and now as we trust in Jesus — but in heaven the good things will keep getting better and better as we live there with Christ. However there are also everlasting bad thing for those who reject Jesus, and these bad things too will get worse and worse.

Prayer

Lord, please help me to trust you and enjoy you for ever. Amen

The Lord Is Light And Salvation For Me

Angus Macdonald — Fri, 08 Apr 2022 00:00:00 +0100

The Lord Is Light And Salvation For Me

Reader: Angus Macdonald

Date: 8th April 2022

Passage: Psalm 27:1

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Psalm 27 is one of my favourite psalms. It was written by David, who started life as a shepherd boy and grew up to become a warrior king. This psalm was probably written when David was older and he had many experiences behind him which gave him great confidence in God as he remembered the help he had received from God. But he also tells us that even after all of God's help and goodness, after saying that with God at his side "I'm fearless, afraid of no one or nothing," yet there still were times when troubles mounted up against him and he had to pray that God would hide him in his shelter and protect him from all his enemies.

Our own lives can often be difficult at times. Even if we have trusted God for his salvation and have found him to be the light of our life, yet we may come up against problems or people who can make us test our faith and make us wonder if God really is helping us at these times. David's answer to that question is that we should remember that God is always with us, and we must keep waiting for him to help us. "Stay with God! Take heart, don't quit. I'll say it again; stay with God" (v. 14, The Message) That should help us to sing: "God is my music, my delight and joy, my praise, my prayer." (Verse 6 - Christopher Idle)

Prayer

Almighty God, thank you that you are indeed my Light and my Salvation at all times. Amen

This Is Eternal Life

Angus Macdonald — Tue, 05 Apr 2022 00:00:00 +0100

This Is Eternal Life

Reader: Angus Macdonald

Date: 5th April 2022

Passage: John 17:3

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The words "eternal" and "everlasting" both mean the same thing. But for us to understand them can be quite difficult. We think of something that is everlasting as going on and on for ever. In a sense that is quite true. But in Psalm 90 we read that God is described as being "from everlasting to everlasting." That means that there never was a time when God did not exist — he is the eternal God, the Creator who brought all things into being, including time itself. So God is not affected by time; he is always present. Eternal (or everlasting) is a word that uniquely belongs to God.

When Jesus Christ said "this is life eternal, that they (those believing in him as Saviour) may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent," the eternal life he referred to was a special kind of life.

Not only does this special life last for ever and ever, it starts here and now when a person comes to trust in Jesus as his/her Saviour. And not only so but it has a special quality — it has something of the very life of God himself in it so that when a believer in Jesus dies, he/she will immediately go into the very presence of God to enjoy this eternal life in a fuller way that will be pure joy, holiness and perfect praising — fitted for the presence of God himself.

Prayer

Dear Lord Jesus, I thank you for the gift of everlasting life. Amen.

Am I My Brother's Keeper?

Angus Macdonald — Sat, 02 Apr 2022 00:00:00 +0100

Am I My Brother's Keeper?

Reader: Angus Macdonald

Date: 2nd April 2022

Passage: Genesis 4:9

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God's question to Cain put him in a sticky spot. Cain had just murdered his brother Abel, probably in a fit of jealousy and bitterness. God had accepted an offering from Abel but had rejected Cain's offering, most likely because Cain's heart did not really love God anyway. God always looks at our heart and sees why we do the things we do.

So Cain's reply to God was first of all untruthful. He said "I don't know." But then he added an insulting response: "Am I my brother's keeper?" Cain and Abel — two brothers torn apart by Cain's hatred. It makes such sad reading. And the other Bible verses which refer to Cain tell us how his hatred of his brother became a byword for wickedness right through the history of God's people. We read that among the Jewish people Cain was thought of as an example of sinfulness and one who instructed others to do the same. What a terrible legacy! And it could have been so very different.

He said "Am I my brother's keeper?" Of course he was. Each of us has a great responsibility to love and care for our own brothers, sisters and family members, and a responsibility towards other people as well. We need especially to look after those who are vulnerable and who cannot care for themselves.

Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, help me to be a true brother or sister both to my family and the wider family of God and all who need a brother's care and love.