1 Samuel 15:22-23 But Samuel replied: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying 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.”

We must also learn from other’s mistakes. Unfortunately, Saul was a good candidate for this. The previous lesson was about disobedience, and this one is about choosing obedience over serving idols.

Saul was explicitly told to wipe the enemy off the face of the earth. However, Saul decided to capture the leader and take the best cattle for himself. When Samuel arrived, he asked, “And the cattle that I hear lowing like that?”

Saul quickly made a weak excuse. “No, I brought them to sacrifice to God.”

Weak excuse, brother. Actually, it’s more important to obey God’s command than to think you are going to do smarter things. I suspect Saul had another agenda here, and it was getting him into deep trouble. His intimate relationship with God suffered great damage.

We know what we must do. We know the path we must take, and we know full well what we should avoid. If you are ever unsure, turn to the Bible. It shines a light on our actions and swiftly exposes what happens in the dark.

An intimate relationship with God cannot thrive without obedience. Stepping outside of God’s will damages our connection with Him; in fact, we feel the weight of that breach ourselves and instinctively want to hide.

A relationship cannot work if one constantly looks away and walks away. Somewhere along the way you will run into a pole or fall down a ravine.

This isn’t nice and is a bit of a shocker. So, let’s get serious about the things that steal our obedience. Let’s get rid of the things that bother us, so they don’t put a spoke in the wheel of our relationship with God.

Prayer
Lord, I’m sorry for being disobedient. May Your Spirit help me to get rid of it …

Questions
Is there something that I know God doesn’t like, but I still try to excuse it?
Do I sometimes use “good reasons” to hide my disobedience?
What prevents me from trusting God completely and simply obeying?

Do this now
Ask God today to show you one area where you are half-obedient.
Write it down and take a practical step to fix it, even if it feels uncomfortable.
If there is something that is messing up your relationship with God, intentionally get rid of it today, even if it is just the first small step.