I’m Stuck!

Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.”

Genesis 4:6-7

The nuisance of being stuck in the mud on a country dirt road is frightening if a tow truck is not around the corner. Wheels spinning, dirt and smoke billowing contribute to frustration. Cell phone in hand—whew! Help is on the way.

Professional counselors are in great demand now because many people live in painful cycles of unresolved inner turmoil. Disastrous and horrific events occur in our world as outward manifestations of unresolved issues. Addiction, post traumatic stress, unbelief, fear, unforgiveness, depression, anxiety and other emotions imprison us.

When Cain realized God’s favor had fallen on his obedient brother, Abel, his impending demise metastasized from jealousy to depression to murderous rage. When God first saw that Cain was angry and disappointed, he didn’t say, “Stop sinning, you bad child!” He gently admonished Cain and even encouraged him that he could master ‘IT’—that is, the trap of sin.

Cain’s parents, Adam and Eve, opened the door to pitfalls of sin by eating the fruit from the forbidden tree in Genesis 3. Their disobedience caused God to forfeit the paradise on earth he had created for them by relocating them and changing their vocation. Their beautiful surroundings in the garden were changed to a field of soil on which to toil (Genesis 3:23).

You, too, may be stuck in a cycle not even initially caused by your actions. Generational sin may have been the root of the problem. Help is available, friend, through the avenues of God’s Word, your church and community, trusted friends and family. Head up—steer toward the wind! Take heart! You are not alone.

Father, I’m stuck and afraid. Rescue me! Lead me to sources for my healing.

Jill Hendrix