God provides us in Genesis 4 some insight regarding the importance of our countenance.  Before moving forward let’s determine what is meant by the word “countenance.”  Countenance is an expression of the face.   We are all familiar with the saying “you could see it all over her face.”  I think of it as

an expression of the heart that appears on the face. 

We are also familiar with the saying “poker face” where the person hides what is in their heart.  Danger lurks in both.

There was a warning concerning an issue of the heart long before there was a slaying in the field.  

Even before God pronounced no pleasure in Cain’s offering there was an issue of the heart.  The indicator is what Cain didn’t bring as an offering.  Cain brought an offering.  He didn’t bring the best or the first.  Instead he brought an ordinary, non-sacrificial, nothing special to God.  What he brought required no trust in God nor did it honor the God of the harvest.

We will be out of sync with others when we are out of sync with God.  The opposite is also true that when we are out of sync with others we will be out of sync with God.  That is why it is so important that we communicate with both God and others that unity would prevail and there would be peace in the land.  

I hope that you will watch today’s vlogg where I respond to what happened on the other side of Saundra’s meltdown and then we will return to the rest of this story.  

God recognized that there was an issue with Cain’s heart and he addressed it not by accusing or repremanding but by asking three simple questions:

• “Why are you angry?”
• “And why has your countenance fallen?”
• “If you do well, will not your countenace be lifted up?”

He followed up with a warning that sin was crouching at the door and that Cain must master it.  Sounds simple enough, right?

In the video I shared that I recognized that Saundra had an issue of the heart.  I realized it long before it tackled her and knocked her to the ground.  I should have spoken with her when I recognized there was an issue just as God did with Cain.  Saundra mentioned in her video she wasn’t ready to hear what others had to say for a period of time.  I believe that so much of this could have been prevented had it been addressed early on.  I believe one of the biggest preventers of that conversation taking place is that we had spent most of our time texting instead of sitting across from, or next to, one another.  We hadn’t spent the quality time nurturing our relationship solidifying it to withstand a hard conversation.  It wasn’t that either of us didn’t want to spend the time together, we were busy.

Acquaintances and casual friends can withstand our “busy.”  Close relationships and intimate relationships can not.  What do you need to 

R e S e t

to engage in close and intimate friendships?