Seeing His Hand

God makes it clear in scripture that HE IS and the ONLY good thing, good work, we can do is to trust in Him.

IN Him.

Not that He exists, but that He made us, orchestrates us, saves us, and even puts us in jeopardy as needed... as He knows best.

The focus of this trust, this faith is through Jesus Christ, who IS the Great I AM. HE IS The Father, but an exact representation in time and space.

Jesus, in His earthly ministry, pointed to The Father for ultimate faith. He didn't mince words that The Father was the Dude in charge... of everything.

Satan, who wants to be "like" God, preaches independence from God. Yet God, The Father, who IS in charge made satan to do as he is doing... even though satan doesn't even know.

"How is that even possible!?"

Well, with God all things ARE possible. He wrote the story, including every character and every action within it. THAT IS The Father.

It is amazing how things, obvious things are hidden. When you have "eyes that see", it is as plain as day, but to the blind, they can't see the light at all, so "day" isn't even relatable. It does make conversation difficult.

We all know this. We all know someone who is so stuck in an untruth that it is bizarre. The question should follow... "what don't I see?"

Faith is sight. It is the Holy Spirit within, giving us access to the mind of Christ... who IS The Father!

THE MIND, the mind of The Author. It is the ultimate breaking of the fourth wall. The ultimate connection. The Gift, the only gift that matters.

Scripture is rather straight forward about this. Repentance isn't "doing better" it is trusting God. In fact doing better often is the opposite of trusting God!

Look at scripture, look at your life. It IS the same. If you are His, He opens eyes. He then pokes and prods you in every step, every event, every blessing and every curse to one end goal, deeper faith in Him.

Now, here is the rub... since He is in absolute control, and faith is what He wants why doesn't He just make everyone to trust Him. This is a good question, and one He doesn't answer. OK, He probably does, but it is hidden until your eyes are given the ability to see it.

We are His work. How well we grow is up to Him. It always was. He hides this truth in plain sight.

If you look at the Cain and Abel event. As many teach, it appears to be a simple "God favors the obedient", yet, it is not. It is about faith in God the same as the rest of the book. It is written with that truth, but hidden by giving the reader the "reason" to believe the lie.

"What lie!?"

That we control our destiny.

Genesis 4:7

[7] If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it."

If you can see it, if God gives you the eyes to see, this event is a huge example of the bigger problem of blindness. The very way it is written offers "opportunity" to view it the wrong way IF you don't know scripture and doubt in the power of God.

The popular and prominent teaching on Cain and Abel always centers on obedience of the offering. Cain's offering is said to be rejected, or less favored, because it wasn't an animal sacrifice. If you believe man's actions decide his fate, then it really does look like that is in fact what happened. Reading verse 7 then becomes obvious, "If you DO what is right".

However, when you see that God is absolutely sovereign and see all of scripture, then the picture becomes very clear... it has nothing to do with the sacrifice and everything to do with trusting God.

For starters, look at:

Psalm 40:6

[6] Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but my ears you have pierced; burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require.

Sacrifice isn't the thing! Now to continue:

[7] Then I said, "Here I am, I have come-- it is written about me in the scroll.

[8] I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart."

The passage points to the ONLY acceptable sacrifice... Jesus Christ.

Why would God care if the offering of Cain or Abel was plant or animal when the ONLY sacrifice that matters is The Son?

"Because it points to Jesus!"

Yes, God required a sacrifice to point to Jesus throughout the Old Testament, yet to push aside Cain and favor Abel without letting Cain know or understand why... is kind of crappy.

However, if God is poking Cain in an area of doubt, then the whole situation makes more sense at that moment AND in light of ALL of scripture.

"If you do what is right"...

What is the ONLY thing you, or anyone, can do right? Is it to sacrifice a lamb? Does that REALLY remove sin and save people? No. The ONLY thing anyone can do, to be accepted, is believe or trust in God.

IN God. Not IN anything else, especially our works or efforts INCLUDING our sacrifices.

With the understanding, the seeing of this, the problem was with Cain's lack of trust in God. Had he trusted God, God's action of less favor would have generated a different response... "humm, God didn't like my offering compared to my brother, He is a good God and Father, so He has a good reason. He knows everything, including my heart, in a way I don't even understand. I trust He knows best, so I cannot blame my brother, or God, but need to "see" what He really wants."

Hebrews 11:4

[4] By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead.

By faith. Had Cain trusted God, he would have never blamed or competed with his brother. Had Cain trusted God, he would have taken the action of God not as a slight but an opportunity to grow. Had he really trusted God, he would have seen from God's statement in verse 7, that acceptance is by faith and his doubt was the problem. He would have repented, not offing an different sacrifice, but relating to God better because He trusted God's action, plans, and purpose was in fact perfect.

He would have seen.

He didn't. He didn't have the faith Abel did. He didn't understand how he or Abel was accepted. He thought it was works. He thought he could win by action. By doing his best, and when his best wasn't good enough, he resorted to removing the competition.

This life is no competition. It is a production line. We are His work.

Romans 9:22-24

[22] What if God, choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath--prepared for destruction?

[23] What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory--

[24] even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?

We are either men chosen to be His children, or His work to be used solely as tools to fashion the children to see better and better.

Can you see it? This is why some just seem to have Job-like problems and others are just jerks who God seems to bless at every turn. Who was more important to God, Job or his idiot friends? Job got his eyes pried open, not so sure about his friends, but it seems unlikely based off God's tone against them.

Ah, but that is a hard one to see. For Cain and Abel, who was really more favored? God offered up the life of Abel just to set up a circumstance for Cain to "see". Looking at all of scripture, God doesn't make mistakes and God's power could have easily stopped the murder.

He didn't, and just like the lack of favor toward Cain, God's action and inaction create the circumstances for faith to open eyes and close them. It is never an "opportunity" for man to "do right" or trust since faith is a gift, using ALL of scripture, the circumstance then becomes a process for growth for His children. Seeing this, Cain is the one being worked on... even though he acted so badly.

David acted badly. Saul acted better, yet Saul was rejected and David favored. David was the object of the circumstances, Saul was a tool.

Action, the sacrifice, is not relevant. It is about faith, it always was. Faith is the eyes to see and is given by birth, the second birth. The birth of the Spirit. It is not earned or deserved. There is no room to boast.

So, the struggle isn't a struggle. It is just a process orchestrated by a Good Father. Do we trust IN Him.

The fight or struggle from our perspective is to repent, or not. Repent meaning turning from believing WE need to do something, that our sacrifice matters, to trusting in Him regarding EVERY event as His action to pry open our blind eyes as HE sees fit. THIS is walking by faith, walking by sight. "SEEING" what the Father is doing... like Jesus' example.

John 5:19

[19] Jesus gave them this answer: "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.

If we trust God, His power, His control, His sovereignty and do not limit Him by assuming He can't act without our action or intent, then we can SEE His hand in ALL things... even the horribly bad ones.

Isaiah 47:7

[7] I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the LORD, do all these things.

"All these things"!

If you can see it, repentance the is turning away from limiting God to see His absolute goodness in the evilest of times on this temporary perspective.

Believing in Jesus is just the starting point. If it was the full picture, He would not have needed to teach us for 3 years prior to His sacrifice. He pointed in all His teaching to two things, man can not be good enough, He was needed and trust in Him was to also trust in The Father. He pointed to His Father. He pointed to Himself. Not just as the answer for forgiveness, and acceptance but the answer to every life question His children have.

"Why does this hurt?"

His answer, if you can see it?

"Because it is necessary for my greater purpose and plan for you."

Had Cain seen this right off, his response would have been, "huh, my Father didn't favor my offering, He favored my brother, maybe Abel needed a boost, maybe I needed a humbling. He is a good Father, no, a great Father, so He knows exactly what He is doing, so I will not oppose Him, I will instead join with Him, walk with Him as I SEE what He is doing... 'Nice job Abel!'"

Can you see the difference? Can you see how this sight changes everything, even how you respond to evil actions from supposed "believers"?

Everything is God working on you to SEE Him better. Even your stupid and evil thoughts and responses. Because you are His child, His work, HE is the one who is shaping and molding you into what He finds acceptable.

He is not fixing you as if He lost track of you. He is making you.

To walk by faith is to agree with Him, to trust in Him. Jesus is God, The Father, the sovereign LORD. The One who is making you into the best possible version of you.

Stop fighting Him, and your brothers. Trust Him, even in your sinful struggles. He KNOWS you. He IS making You. He does excellent work.

Stop doubting Him.

He's got this.

He's got you.

Just watch Him work. As you do, you will see and KNOW how to respond. You cannot mess this up.

Ephesians 2:10

[10] For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.