In St Augustine’s Confessions, he makes a statement we can hardly contradict: Speaking to God he says, “You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in You.” In other words, we will never find true satisfaction apart from God who created us. This truth is illustrated in Genesis chapter 4. After Adam and Eve rejected God’s authority and ate the forbidden fruit, she gave birth to two sons, Cain and Abel. They each brought gifts to God. Abel brought the best of his animals. Cain brought a token gift of his crops. God accepted Abel’s offering but rejected Cain’s. We read that Cain was so upset at God’s rejection that he murdered his brother. As punishment, God told Cain, “From now on you will be a homeless wanderer on the earth.” Cain lost his home and God’s presence—the consequence of rejecting God’s authority. Today, all who reject Almighty God lose His presence and the benefits God offers. Yet when we repent of our sins, turn to God by faith in His Son, we find rest—pardon of our sins, peace of God’s presence, and power to live productively in this world.
