City Building??

What to do? What to do? This past Sunday's message was really challenging to me. An intern that had been at North last year came back to preach a couple Sundays on A Fork in the Road. It was a real challenge to me. First he talked about 3 Obvious Truths that drive us:
1. We are finite creatures
2. We are dependent creatures
3. We are vulnerable.
Ouch on all three. Basically we are needy and we have a choice to make as to where we are going to turn to get our needs met.
He talked about Cain. I have heard the story of Cain and Abel from Genesis 4 tons of times over the years but I had never looked into it like we did this Sunday. We all know... Cain doesn't bring the right sacrifice, God is pleased with Abel's and not his; God asks him to obey but Cain takes matters into his own hands and kills his brother; God punishes him and tells him that the ground will no longer produce for him. End of story right? I had never seen God's punishment as an invitation but that is really what it was. God takes away his normal way of life and tells Cain to be a restless wanderer on the earth.... ultimately He is saying - trust Me for your every need, I will take care of you. Cain has a dilemma: Do I trust God? He decides - No, I am going to take care of myself and builds a city. It looks great from the outside the first great civilization but it is in a collision course with God and since it is based on violence in Genesis 6 God's has no recourse but to start over with just Noah and his family.
We were given the 21st century City Builder's Creed:
1. I can't count on God
2. I am on my own
3. So I will take care of myself
4. I don't need God.
What about me?? Do I trust God or am I coming up with some other way to take care of myself because I don't think that He is going to come through for me? Bring it down to real life.... last night I was looking online at apartments... Is that city building?? I know that I CAN count on God. I am NOT on my own, GOD will take care of me, and I DO need God. What is the next step? God asked Cain and later Abraham... "Step out in faith... I will take care of you... I will provide all that you ever need.... Trust Me." Abraham did, Cain didn't . It makes me think of a Sunday school session we had with the kids a while ago that I blogged about here. As I read that I was challenged again: What about me? Am I going to trust God? Living by faith is scary but I know that God loves us and has good plans for us and will take care of us. I can trust Him.