# 55 The Fugitive

The Book of Genesis Day 55 Ge 4:11 "So now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. 12 "When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you. A fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the earth." Cain has murdered his brother Abel, and God now metes out His perfect justice on the matter. The ground, now tainted with the blood of Abel, will no longer be fertile for Cain. Every time Cain takes in the view of his sickly fields, he’ll be reminded of the field where he took his brother to be slain. Even in this reminder, God would be calling Cain to repentance and restoration. I wonder, in our own lives, what kind of reminders does He put in our path, that seek to cause us to pause and consider our past mistakes? May we have the grace to listen to the prompting of the Holy Spirit to confess our sins and be forgiven! In addition to a lifetime of futility in the field, Cain would now be a fugitive and a vagabond. He would be a vagabond who would ever need to move on, seeking good land, and a fugitive ever running away from his sin. It’s not easy being a fugitive. There is no peace. It is a lifetime of fear, mistrust, and running. Some of you may be living the fugitive lifestyle right now! You may be trying to hide a sinful lifestyle from God and others. Is it an affair? Is it pornography? Larceny? Gambling? Whatever it is, you find yourself in constant fear of getting discovered. You have no peace. You are constantly on the lam and having to cover your tracks. Somehow you have been duped into believing that God does not see. Guess what? He does see my friend, and that’s why we have His Word, the Bible, to help us see as well. It is His desire that we come to the cross to receive the cure, and with the help of Jesus, turn from our sinful ways! Stop being on the lam! Rather cast your sins on the Lamb! The Lamb of God who takes away your sin, my sin, the sins of the world! Run to Him, not from Him! By faith, receive His forgiveness and with it, the peace that passes all understanding. There is no need to look over your shoulder, when you are looking at the cross! Reflect: Have you ever been caught with your hand in the cookie jar? (Ever been found out for some secret deed?) How did that feel? Have you ever fessed up to some secret misdeed? ( “I broke the vase mom”) How did that feel? In the quietness of your own heart, take some time to allow the Holy Spirit to search you for any secret sins. Write them down. Confess them and give them to Jesus, then tear the paper up, confident that the sins have been “tossed into the sea of forgetfulness.” Remember what Jesus said to the woman whose secret sin of adultery was made very public. He said in Jn 8:11, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more." Pray: Father God, thank You for Your constant invitation to leave the life of a fugitive. Thank You for the peace You offer through Jesus. Help me to resist running from You and rather seek to run to You and receive Your forgiveness.”