“Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering”(Genesis 4: 4).

The story of Abel is the first in an unfortunately long series in which the righteous always die at the hands of the disobedient.

Abel did not deserve to die. Abel had behaved well and had obeyed God faithfully; however, none of that saved him from the deadly hand of his brother.

Do not think that by being obedient, by taking a bath on Fridays and wearing a tie on Sabbath morning, you will absolutely be out of danger. Do not think that by behaving well, by not going to certain places or eating certain foods, you will have a certificate of “untouchable.”The story of Abel should teach us this: the righteous also suffer and also die. God did not promise you a world without thorns. He said that He would be with us in the midst of the valley of the shadow of death. You can get hurt, but you will have the promise of His company at all times.

The story of Abel reminds me of the tenth plague in Egypt. The angel of the Lord was going to pass through the land of Egypt, fulfilling the deadly, divine command. The only way for the oldest son in the family to be saved was to paint the lintel of the door with the blood of a lamb. It did not matter how good or how bad he was. It did not matter if he went to church or not, if he sang in the youth choir or not, if he smoked or not. The only thing that the angel was going to respect was the blood on the lintel. The “spiritual curriculum”of the possible victim had no importance.

Many times, “little modern saints”believe they are so perfect that they do not require the blood of the Lamb on the lintel of their hearts. However, when you are conscious of your true condition, you take what God wants to receive to His altar and not what you feel like giving Him.

It may be that you are making a foolish mistake in other peoples’eyes, but if it is what God asked you to do, obey Him: it is the best thing for you.

Live today by taking God the offerings of gratitude that He desires.