The title might suggest a boxing match, but this meditation is about people who are slugging it out spiritually in their daily lives. Satan loves to wear us down physically and spiritually. He encourages us to be active, but not in things that will refresh us emotionally, physically, and spiritually.
As soon as sin enters our lives, it influences and impacts more than one moment, one thought, or one decision. It seeps into every aspect of life, including our families and our trust in God.
I am sure that Adam and Eve regretted the breach in their relationship with God. They acknowledged their sin that took place in Eden, but their shame, grief, and regret did not protect their son Cain from falling into sin and killing his brother. Despite his parents’ conscientious teaching. Cain’s disobedience far surpassed that of his parents. His anger led him to murder his brother Abel.
He was angry because God accepted Abel’s sacrifice, for the shedding of blood was involved. In Hebrews 9:22, we read, “Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness for sin.”
Cain’s sacrifice came from the fruit of the field, and there was bloodshed. He was angry that God accepted Abel’s offering but not his.
Outwardly, both brothers seemed to perform a religious act. Cain’s attitude was, “I will worship God anyway I please,” and God says, “Oh no, you won’t. I have made it clear how one can please, honor, and worship Me.” In Genesis 4:6, God told Cain that sin was lying in wait for him, but if he did what was right, he would be accepted by God.
Do you ever find yourself thinking, “I will worship God any way I please, and He should be satisfied that I give Him my time?”
Unlike his parents, Adam and Eve, who tried to make excuses for their sin in the garden, Cain denied his sin. He told God that he didn’t know anything about Abel’s murder.
In Genesis 4:10-12, God said to him, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground! Now you are cursed and banished from the ground, which has swallowed your brother’s blood. No longer will the ground yield good crops for you, no matter how hard you work! From now on, you will be a homeless wanderer on the earth.”
Sin is a heavy weight to bear, and when we deny it, the weight gets even heavier. We will find ourselves wandering in the wilderness, tired and slugging it out. God has provided a better way in 1 John 1:8-9 “If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living the truth. But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.”
Folks, John was writing to Christians and challenging them to confess any sin in their lives rather than denying it. We don’t have to wander in the wilderness out of fellowship with God. We can acknowledge any attitude or action that quenches God’s Spirit and be restored and refreshed by renewed fellowship with God.
In Psalm 51:1, we read, “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love, according to your great compassion, blot out my transgressions.” That’s the kind of heart attitude God is for from each of us. Satan wants to wear us out, and God, who loves us, wants to restore and refresh us daily as we walk with Him.
Don’t be angry with God, just because He won’t accept our wrong choices. He loves you so much. He will pursue you to the ends of the earth to display His love and compassion for you. I personally know this to be true, and you can as well.
God bless you,
Pastor Leonard
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A SPECIAL NOTE FROM PASTOR LEONARD, sent to him from PJI …
Dear Friend,
I’m writing to you not just as a lawyer, but as a father, a defender of parental rights, and as someone who believes we face a defining moment for families in California. Just days ago, the California Legislature pushed AB 495 all the way through both the Assembly and the Senate. Despite massive public outcry, lawmakers voted to send this dangerous bill, one of the most sweeping threats to parental rights we’ve ever seen, to the Governor’s desk. Let me be clear: this fight is not theoretical anymore. If the Governor signs AB 495, it will become law. This bill strips away parental authority and creates avenues for state interference in decisions that belong to moms and dads, not bureaucrats. This is why PJI exists. We’ve been at the Capitol, we’ve been in the hearings, and we’ve been on the frontlines defending families. But we cannot wage this battle without your help. But today, I’m asking you to do more. Because AB 495 is no longer a possibility, it’s imminent. We must be prepared the moment the Governor acts.
Brad Dacus
President & Founder
