Error To Avoid

1 Sam.15:²² But Samuel replied, “What is more pleasing to the Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.

Please read the story in 1 Samuel 15 but I will give you an over view. Samuel a prophet, came to king Saul with a message from God. God had enough of the Amalekites; Saul’s instruction was go and wipe out the entire nation and kill all their livestock – everything! Saul gathered the armies of Israel numbering two hundred thousand solders and the armies of Judah over ten thousand soldiers. They fought and defeated the nation because God was with them. But, they kept the fattest livestock, and kept the king Hager. That night, God came to Samuel and said, “I regret making Saul king, I regret choosing him!”, and God told him all that Saul had done. The Bible says, Samuel cried all night.

God can change His mind. God changed his mind concerning Saul. The prophecy concerning Saul was totally different, but God chose someone else to live out His plan. I pray that God will not change His mind about the good things that He has for you, in Jesus Name. In the morning, Samuel went out to look for Saul, but no one could find him. Guess where Saul was? They found him building a statue for himself. Wouldn’t he at least let someone build a monument for him?

So, Samuel confronted him, “What have you done?” God’s instruction to you was clear but God told me that you did not obey it. Saul insisted that they obeyed God. Samuel said, “What is this I am hearing? Is it not the bleating of sheep?” Sauls says, it is nothing. We brought back those animals for sacrifice to the Lord your God. Then Samuel said, “What is more pleasing to the Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams. What Samuel was saying to Saul is this; do you think God will accept your sacrifices when you have not obeyed Him?

You know that prayer is sacrifice, right? Prayer is a sacrifice and if you add fasting to it, it becomes a bigger sacrifice. Sadly, some folks are willing to fast for weeks, but they refuse to obey. What is the purpose of your fast? Obedience is better than sacrifice. But Saul was still trying to smooth talk Samuel and Samuel said in 1 Sam.15:²³ “Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft, and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols. So because you have rejected the command of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.” I pray that you will not reject the command of the Lord our God.

Prayer: Father, please give me the sense to obey You one hundred percent, in Jesus Name. Amen!