“Teach me to do your will, for you are my God;
may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.”
Psalm 143:10
“Post this at all the intersections, dear friends: Lead with your ears, follow up with your tongue, and let anger straggle along in the rear. God’s righteousness doesn’t grow from human anger. So throw all spoiled virtue and cancerous evil in the garbage. In simple humility, let our gardener, God, landscape you with the Word, making a salvation-garden of your life.”
22-24 Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other. Act on what you hear! Those who hear and don’t act are like those who glance in the mirror, walk away, and two minutes later have no idea who they are, what they look like.
25 But whoever catches a glimpse of the revealed counsel of God—the free life!—even out of the corner of his eye, and sticks with it, is no distracted scatterbrain but a man or woman of action. That person will find delight and affirmation in the action.
26-27 Anyone who sets himself up as “religious” by playing a good game is self-deceived. This kind of religion is hot air and only hot air. Real religion, the kind that passes muster before God the Father, is this: Reach out to the homeless and loveless in their plight, and guard against corruption from the godless world.
James 1:19-27 (MSG)
“Observe what the Lord your God requires: Walk in obedience to him, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and regulations, as written in the Law of Moses. Do this so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go.”
1 KING 2:3
As chapter 15 opens, the prophet Samuel brings a critical message to King Saul. We recall that Samuel had anointed Saul as king at the direction of the LORD. Now, the Lord has a direct command for Saul and delivers it through Samuel. The Amalekites are enemies of Israel and had been a hindrance to them when the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt. The LORD now commands Saul to kill all the Amalekites, including their women and children, and all of their livestock.
Saul goes to war against the Amalekites and sets an ambush against them. But, Saul redefines the Lord’s command. Instead of killing all Amalekites, he spares their king, Agag. Instead of slaughtering all their livestock, he saves the best animals. Then, he goes to Carmel and erects a monument to himself.
The LORD regrets that He made Saul king. He reveals His feelings to Samuel. When Samuel confronts him, Saul immediately protests his innocence. He claims that he kept the prize sheep and cattle so he could make a sacrifice to Samuel’s LORD. Besides, he claims it really wasn’t his idea in the first place. He blames his army.
Samuel rebukes Saul, declaring that the LORD values obedience over sacrifice and rejects rebellious and presumptuous leaders as sorcerers and idolaters. The Lord rejects Saul as king, promising to anoint another. Saul pleads with Samuel, saying that the real reason he was disobedient was his fear of the men in his army. Nevertheless, Samuel tells Saul that the LORD does not go back on His word and that he indeed was rejected.
Both Saul and David were disobedient to God, however the key difference was the position of their heart. Holy obedience never requires affirmation from others. When we fear people it violates our obedience to the Lord.
Our obedience to God’s word shows our complete trust in God, produces blessings in our lives, and produces a joy that fills us up. As we walk with God we must learn to practice immediate, complete, and joyful obedience to God’s word.
REFLECTION QUESTIONS:
Has God ever directed you to do something that is outside of your ability to do on your own?
What do you think were Saul’s reasons for keeping the best livestock, even after he was told to slaughter them all?
In what areas in your life do you redefine your obedience to God?
In what areas of your life do you have the hardest time obeying God?
What must you give up in order to be obedient to God in all things?
