So the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.” - Genesis 4:8. 

In San Francisco Saturday, a man with a meat cleaver ran down a busy street hitting and slashing those in his way. Two women were hospitalized with head and neck injuries. A police officer also suffered injuries when he attempted to subdue the man who has a history of mental illness. The story reminded me of when I was a parole officer. One of my clients had a new found friend and had moved in with him. I tried to warn my client that his new friend had mental problems and I took extraordinary measures to protect my client from his friend. 

My client's new friend had once been arrested after neighbors called reporting, he was chasing his unclothed pregnant girlfriend down the street in the middle of the night with a butcher knife. My client didn't really understand why he had to find some place else to live until a few weeks later. A few weeks later my client's new friend broke into a home and robbed a family at knifepoint. 

Sin is like a crazy man with a meat cleaver who wants to destroy you. God told Cain, “sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you....” Sin is not reasonable. The only reason sin has is the unreasonable. Sin tears down and destroys our lives in every possible way. It destroys those around us just as Cain killed his own brother. 

One of the reasons we do not prosper (Not just financial prosperity.) is sin. Sin robs us of blessings and starves our souls. The Bible makes this clear. Here are two verses, which speak of this: 

Jeremiah 5:25, “Your iniquities have turned these things away, And your sins have withheld good from you.” 

2 Chronicles 24:20, “Thus says God: ‘Why do you transgress the commandments of the Lord, so that you cannot prosper? Because you have forsaken the Lord, He also has forsaken you.’” 

A temptation that leads to sin is usually very appealing and alluring. The true nature of a temptation is usually not obvious. So, the next time you are tempted remember the sin you are tempted to commit is worse than a crazy man with a meat cleaver and he is trying to destroy you and your family.