Show some respect.

And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering. - Genesis 4:4

By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts. – Hebrews 11:4

Look again. That’s what we have to do to see fire the first time it appears in Scripture. Its elusive, yet commanding flame is hidden inside the story of a shepherd named Abel, the second son of Adam and Eve.

Genesis 4 tells us that Abel and his brother, Cain, both present sacrifices to the Lord. Abel offers the best of his flock and Cain offers fruit from the ground, but the Lord only has respect for Abel’s offering. The word respect used in this verse comes from a Hebrew term that means, “to look” or “gaze upon” (which could imply something worthy of God’s attention), but the term can also be translated, “to kindle into fire.”[1] Given that interpretation, the text suggests that God shows respect for Abel’s sacrifice by consuming it with fire.

This kind of response could have easily astounded Abel, because to that point, God had never come in fire. In fact, when Cain presented his offering, God didn’t come at all. There wasn’t a consuming fire. Not a flame or a spark. Not even a puff of smoke. There was no divine response because God wasn’t just looking for a present from the earth. He wanted to see His presence in the earth, and nothing ushers in His presence like faith. Hebrews 11 says Abel presented his sacrifice to God by faith. In essence, he respected God enough to believe him. Do you?

Abel's story reminds us that how we give is just as important as what we give. We must give our best to the Lord, and we must give in faith. Faith is more than trust in God; it is intentional pursuit to please Him (Heb. 11:6). The presence and glory of God always manifest where He is pleased, so we cannot become so focused on what we sacrifice for the Lord that we fail to attend to how He responds. His presence and pleasure should be the aim of our giving and living.

Today we can pursue that aim by embracing Holy Spirit as the Spirit of Faith. The more we welcome Him, the more we please the Father and the stronger we grow in belief. And if we recommit to acting in faith, we will surely operate in His fire.

[1] http://biblehub.com/genesis/4-4.htm