Obedience over sacrifice

Obedience over sacrifice
S - 1 Sam 15:22-23 (NASB)
22 Samuel said,
"Has the LORD as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
As in obeying the voice of the LORD?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
And to heed than the fat of rams.
23"For rebellion is as the sin of divination,
And insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry
Because you have rejected the word of the LORD,
He has also rejected you from being king."

O - This is a reminder that God loves obedience more than he loves gifts. Saul here at first appeared to be doing a good thing as he defeated the enemy of Israel, but in fact he added to and took away from God's will for the situation. He added the thought of presenting a sacrifice to the Lord, an added requirement not spoken by the Lord, and he did so by disobeying the Lord's command to actually get rid of all the people and their possessions. Samuel reveals why this is a problem, because it is rejection of the word of the Lord, and is equivalent to rebellion which is our nature to reject God and his ways for our own.

A - The application for me is to recognize that I am as susceptible as Saul was to rejecting a word from the Lord by merely changing it to meet my preference. I am not exactly sure how to overcome that tendency or nature in me to do that other than I can't do it on my own. I must rely on the victory Christ has in my life, to conquer the sinful nature in me, to allow the voice of truth that is the holy spirit to guide me. I must be sure to bring all decision through the filter that Christ is who dwells in me, and allow the Holy Spirit to prompt and convict me when I begin to head down the wrong path.

P - Dear heavenly Father, thank you for today's lesson, may it be sealed to my heart. I pray Lord for continued restoration after a period of absence from true devotions in you word. I pray for forgiveness for those things that I have rejected and continue to reject that are from you, and a commandment in my life. I pray Lord for the Holy Spirit to clean house in me of those things are have been rebellious to your will, and allow those things that are remaining in me to be removed. I pray all this in Jesus name, Amen.