I want to be like Abel who tilled his land
Worked hard for great harvests
And gave his utmost to the Most High.
I want to be like Abel; his gifts touched
The heart of the Sovereign King, Owner
Of all that was, and is and ever will be.
I want to be like Abel; his life was pleasing
In the sight of Him who alone is righteous.
I want to be like Abel; God called him by name
And his offering was honored by the Almighty.
Unlike Abel, grant me the wisdom to discern
And escape traps of enemies, home and abroad.

Food For Thought: Close to my birthday, a close friend once asked me, “What do you give to a woman who has it all?” She may have forgotten but I never have because I translated the same to God who owns it all. What can we give to leave everlasting impression on God? The answer is nothing. All He desires is a sincere heart, yielded to Him. If God’s got our hearts, then He has all of us and all we possess. That was the kind of heart Abel had so giving God his best wasn’t a big deal. It wasn’t a struggle. Yet, Abel’s life was wasted by an enemy he counted a brother and friend. Our takeaway from life experiences should be wisdom or we are bound to repeat unpleasant encounters with nothing better to show for past pains and losses. From the good, we should learn to do right and from the bad, the way not to go. Abel’s life teaches us to set our affections on God and to serve Him our very best. It also teaches the benefits of discernment that we may escape the claws of those bent on evil. Abel trusted his brother, the same brother murdered him. Does that say we shouldn’t trust? No. We need God’s wisdom to know where to invest our trust and to what extent. These things have been documented for our learning. Some of us trust everyone that comes our way. Some of us trust too much for our own good. Some are struggling to trust anyone at all because they cannot afford to make mistakes, they don’t want to be taken advantage of. Consequently, they go through the motions of life without allowing life to go through them. They get by the corners of living, exist on the fringes, thrive on the surface: just there without any deep encounters. God’s plan as He takes us through the phases of life is to help us see and learn so we are empowered to know, to choose, and to live right. Through life’s experiences, God exposes, enlightens, equips and establishes us in the right path.

Scripture: You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies; for they are ever with me. Psalm 119: 98.

Prayer: Dear Lord, as I serve You my very best, may I trust in Your guidance and in Your ability to preserve me from harm, amen.