Genesis 4:7
“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.”
This is a lesson for all time. The Lord knew Cain would murder Abel and came to him ahead of time and warned him, ‘sin is crouching at your door.’ That warning remains set in stone. Those are the words of God, not only for Cain, but also for each one of us. We all face temptations and we all face choices. The lure of sin is great. The devil makes it attractive. It is enticing. It makes us get excited. Our heart beats faster with the anticipation of a little sin. It lures us in an unexpectedly strong manner. The devil plays with our minds, undermining the severity of the wrong choices we are about to make, undermining the Word of God (‘did God really say…’ Genesis 3:1) and undermining the consequences of sin (‘You will not surely die?’ Genesis 3:4). We need to be aware of the devil’s plans to lure us from God’s way and cause us to sin. We are warned of just this in 1 Peter 5:8, “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” The devil is the devourer. The consequences of sin are always going to be destructive. This new year aim at putting a hedge around your life. Be self-controlled and alert. Sin is crouching at your door. It desires to have you, but you must master it. God is with you. He will help you!