To Obey>Sacrifice

1 Samuel 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.

In today’s reading God has given King Saul a simple task. Wipe out the Amalekites for their cowardice and treachery when they attacked Israel. The task is straightforward: kill them all, sheep, goats, goldfish and hamsters. Nothing survives.

However, Saul had his own agenda. He let King Agag survive, and he allowed his soldiers to bring home cattle, sheep and goats. I’m not sure how many hamsters survived…

When he is confronted by Samuel about his disobedience, he says, “We brought home the animals to, um, to… sacrifice to the Lord! Yeah, that’s it!” That’s when Samuel drops today’s verse on him.

To obey is better than sacrifice.

There are people who think their tithes will save them. There are folks who think they can get Brownie points in heaven by their deeds. God says those are okay, but what he really wants from you is obedience. Your good deeds don’t make up for disobedience.

Eric Liddell, whose story was told in the movie Chariots of Fire said, "One word stands out from all others as the key to knowing God, to having His peace and assurance in your life--it is obedience."

The blessings of obedience are incredible, the consequences of disobedience, as Saul found, may be crushing. It’s your choice.

Today’s Readings: 1 Samuel 15,16; 1 Chronicles 5; Matthew 1