| Obedience vs. Sacrifice |
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1Samuel 15:22-23 (NIV)
But Samuel replied: "Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king."
But Samuel replied: "Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king."
It is good to make sacrifices unto God, but it must never be as a bribe for disobeying God. Obeying God is what God values the most. The value of any sacrifice you make unto God is reflected in how much your heart is obedient and yielded to God; not in how magnificent the sacrifice appears before men. God gave Saul a very clear instruction in 1Samuel 15:1-3 to wipe out every single human being and animal in Amalek. However, Saul spared Agag the king of Amalek and allowed the people to preserve some animals with the alleged intention of rendering them as sacrifices to God.Do not do anything (especially in your service to God) because you want the praise, acceptance or recognition of men. In our world of so much competition and bragging, people seem to value recognition and endorsements from men above recognition and endorsements from God. Jesus made it clear that doing things to be seen by men will cause you to lose the reward that God wants to give you. According to Jesus, your prayers, fasting and giving should be done as unto God, not to show off before men. He said God who sees in secret will reward you openly, Matt.6:1-18.
What God recognizes and endorses is your heart that is loyal and obedient to His voice and leading; not what you show off before men. Stay clear of rebelling against the voice of the Spirit of God and the voice of your conscience. Do not try to twist the word of God to suit your selfish motives and desires. Instead, humble yourself before God and obey Him always.
PRAYER: Dear Heavenly Father, my heart is loyal to You. I desire to obey You and to please You always with all my heart.
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