Today on the Good Morning Devotional Podcast, we are beginning a type of series called The Heroes of Faith. We will be taking a journey through Hebrews 11 and spending a bit of time on each hero of faith and what we can learn from them. Today, we are talking about the first hero of faith mentioned, Able. What can we learn from him? Listen and find out!

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Some people struggle with the idea of giving their very best because they wonder if it really has any weight, or if anybody’s really going to care. Today on the Good Morning Devotional podcast, we’re talking about that very struggle using the example of Abel.

I’ve recently been doing reflections from my morning devotional in the Life Journal. While reading in Hebrews chapter 11, I realized there is so much there that I wanted to start a mini-series talking about the “heroes of the faith”. Hebrews 11 is the “Hall of Faith” where several people from the scriptures are mentioned and commended for their faith. The first example we find there is Abel:

Hebrews 11:4 “By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man. When God spoke well of his offerings, and by faith he still speaks even though he is dead”.

To understand the context, the story of Cain and Abel takes place in Genesis chapter 4. They were the firstborn sons of Adam and Eve, and God told them to offer up sacrifices. To summarize the story quickly, Cain offered up one of his sheep, but it wasn’t the best; he basically just picked one, and the Lord wasn’t pleased with it because he didn’t give his very best. Abel, however, gave the very best of his crop, the very, very best, and told the Lord, “This is the best I have”. He was honored and praised for that.

As a result, Abel was murdered when Cain became jealous and attacked him. In that moment, Abel became the first martyr because he was literally killed for his faith and his willingness to go above and beyond to serve God.

The Power of a Lasting Effect

We don’t have much written about Abel past these moments; he offered his very best, and he died. Yet, his short life is memorialized, and the writer of Hebrews says that by faith he still speaks even though he is dead. This means his example, his faith to give his very best regardless of how short a time frame he had, had a rippling effect. It became an example of what the Lord expects: our very, very best. At the same time, it’s an example showing that the world doesn’t always like it when we give our best to God; the world can become jealous because the Lord blesses and praises us.

Some people might think dying right afterward doesn’t seem like a big blessing, but it wasn’t about the blessing; it was about giving our best to the Lord. People often wonder if giving their best is worth it. whether it’s a little extra in a tithe, or giving their very best at their job. Remember, giving your best at work is an act of worship commanded of us.

The lasting effect of serving the Lord is generational. We live in a world where we want to see immediate effects right here and now, but the greatest thing is the lasting effect that happens down the line. It’s about the generations where someone can say an act of faithfulness was a game-changer for their family.

Think about the great evangelist Billy Graham. We don’t often hear about the person who led Billy Graham to the Lord, yet that person’s act of faithfulness had a lasting effect. Billy Graham went on to lead millions to Christ, but it all started with one person giving their best. It may seem like a small thing to you right now, but giving your very best wherever you are could change the world stage. Whether you’re serving kids at a school, working at a camp, or just being an example to your fellow workmen and workwomen, be willing to give your best to see God change the world.