Obedience. It's a word we all love to hate and is even considered a "bad" word in many churches these days. We often agree with it in theory, yet have a natural bent to defy it. God's word and our relationship with God is not something to play games with. Yet we all often consider our obedience to God as a "buffet table" where we apply what is comfortable and play games with the rest. Pastor Adam had a hard word today: Partial or delayed obedience is still disobedience.
INVITATION: The Old Testament often is like an action packed adventure movie. It's sometimes hard to understand the blood and violence. Why did God allow such things? Is He truly a LOVING God if such things existed? This week's scriptures evoke such questions. Yet we also see that God always does what he says he will do and HE IS GOOD. He tests us for our own good and growth - yet he won't tempt us (James 1:13). Saul put a lot of time, effort and emotion into what showed on the outside, but ignored what was on the inside. He lacked integrity. This begins to show in this week's verses.
What about you? Are you playing games regarding obedience in your life? Are you picking and choosing what you heed and what you don't? Do you rationalize, justify and defend your bent toward disobedience? Saul had his hand on the shovel of disobedience and kept digging pitfalls - - - often in situations where his intentions were good and it seemed logical. Logical for him, yet he was being disobedient to what God had told him. Are you doing some rationalizing in your life? Remember, even partial or delayed obedience is still disobedience.
MONDAY: Luke 11:28 & John 8:31-32: Many people quote "...you shall know the truth and the truth will set you free." However, they conveniently leave off the first part of that verse which tells us, "IF YOU put my principals into practice, THEN you will know the truth and the truth will set you free....." Are you guilty of desiring God's freedom and other gifts, but not being willing to be fully obedient to His call on your life?
TUESDAY: I Samuel 10:8: Samuel the prophet told Saul exactly what to do. Part of the instruction was to WAIT. Sometimes that is one of the hardest callings on our life. It's often easier to do hard things FOR God than to WAIT on Him. Have you been tempted to take matters into your own hands? Have you ever had a call to wait in your life? Could there be a call right now to wait? How are you doing with that?
WEDNESDAY: I Samuel 13:1-14: Saul and his son, Jonathan, had a major defeat and then blasted the news to everyone. From Saul's point of view, and in his PARTIAL obedience, he waited 7 days as he was instructed. However, he was once again bitten by the bug of worrying too much about what other people thought, and when his people began to scatter, it must have seemed logical to take things into his own hands and not wait any longer. He rationalized, justified and defended his decision to offer a sacrifice rather than waiting for Samuel--the person appointed by God to offer sacrifices. Has that ever happened to you? Maybe, like Saul, your overall intentions are good, but are you being fully obedient? Maybe, like Saul, it seems logical to move forward and not wait, but consider--what are your clear instructions? Some of Saul's areas of disobedience were: impatience, people pleasing, pride and disobedience. Do any of those resonate in your life? How might you pray about that today?
THURSDAY: I Samuel 15:2-3: This goes back to something that occurred in Deut. 25:17-19. The Amalekites attacked and killed many of the people of Israel. Because of their sin and evil, God had said that He would someday destroy them. Whether we understand all the implications or not (and we don't), God keeps His word. He does what she says He will do. The instructions God gave to Saul were clear--do not spare anyone or anything. Saul partially obeyed God, but God still considered it disobedience. Is there any area of your life where you are only being partially obedient?
FRIDAY: I Samuel 15:9-11: Once again, Saul used his own logic and reasoning rather than being obedient to what he was told by Samuel, God's prophet. Saul partially obeyed and was intentional in his disobedience, once again relying on his own rationalizations and justifications. His human logic over God's instructions. Is there something currently going on in your life that seems beyond human logic and reasoning? Maybe it doesn’t quite make sense? Have you taken that situation up with God? Are you willing to listen and obey - even if it does not make logical sense to you? Do you fully trust God?
SATURDAY: I Samuel 15:12-24: To obey is better than sacrifice. Disobedience reveals all of the following: a lack of joy for God (vs. 19); a lack of worship for God (vs. 12); a tendency toward idolatry (vs. 23) and a lack of reverence for God (vs. 24). We delight God when we trust and obey Him. Do you desire to delight and please God? Most theologians say the purpose of man is to praise, worship/adore and serve God. Are these desires in your heart? If not, how can you pray and ask for those things?