#DailyDevotion The Lord Wants Obedience Born Of Faith

July 30th
Read 1 Sam 15:10–35
1Sa 15:19-23 Why then did you not obey the voice of the LORD? Why did you pounce on the spoil and do what was evil in the sight of the LORD?” (20) And Saul said to Samuel, “I have obeyed the voice of the LORD. I have gone on the mission on which the LORD sent me. I have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and I have devoted the Amalekites to destruction. (21) But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the best of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the LORD your God in Gilgal.” (22) And Samuel said, “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams. (23) For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has also rejected you from being king.” 1Sa 15:28 And Samuel said to him, “The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you.

I told you it wouldn’t end well with Saul. I find it interesting that Samuel doesn’t even address Saul’s claim that they were saving the best to sacrifice to the Lord is sincere or not. He takes Saul at his word says that doesn’t matter.

What does matter? Obedience to the Word of the Lord! Obedience to the Lord exudes from Faith in the Lord. They did not obey because they did not believe. You might remember they killed all the worthless animals. But whether Saul is telling the truth or not that doesn’t matter. They did not obey the Lord. His sincere intentions didn’t matter. Obedience matters because faith matters.

So what about you? Have you ever done things with “good intentions” but it wasn’t what the Lord Jesus Christ has said he wanted you to do? Do you try to justify your disobedience to the Lord to do something perceived as good but you know it’s not what Jesus has told you to do?

1Sa 15:25-26 Now therefore, please pardon my sin and return with me that I may bow before the LORD.” (26) And Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you. For you have rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected you from being king over Israel.” We note that Samuel didn’t say that Saul was not forgiven. The Lord’s primary will towards men is always forgiveness and mercy. But there is a temporal punishment to teach Saul to trust the Lord and be obedient. The kingdom will be taken away from Saul and given to another. It won’t stay in his family. When we sin against the Lord, even with good intentions, and we admit our faults and confess our sins, the Lord Jesus Christ will certainly bestow forgiveness upon us on account of His blood. Jesus will not necessarily take away our temporal punishments so we and those around us will take notice and not sin as we did.

Lord Jesus Christ, we thank you that with you forgiveness and mercy is always greater than our disobedience. Help us to recognize our sinfulness through our temporal punishments and may others learn from our sins not to fall into them. Grant us your Holy Spirit that we may rightly trust in do and do what you desire of us in your Word. Amen.