13 Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is more than I can bear. 14 Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.” Genesis 4:13-14
In his own way, Cain admitted his guilt but didn’t repent of his sin. Clearly he was busted and knew he couldn’t escape the consequences. It’s unfortunate that it had to come to this. I’m sure the Lord would have preferred Cain to confess to his sins.
In the same way, God would prefer us coming to Him about our sins rather than us being called out for them. Does it make a difference? I think it does. It shows that you still have a conscience and are willing to humble yourself before an all-knowing God. The phrase, “I’d rather be humble than to be humiliated,” comes to mind.
More importantly, the Lord wants an ongoing relationship with Him. This was Cain’s big mistake. After being rebuked for his subpar offering, he should have squared it away with God. If we understood how patient God can be with us, our lives would be so much easier.