Partial Obedience?

Saul was Israel’s first king. The Lord was actually their king but they wanted a king from among the people, so God, through Samuel, anointed Saul to be their king.

The Lord often spoke to King Saul through Samuel. First Samuel 15 tells about one of those times.

The Lord, through Samuel, commanded Saul to destroy the city of Amalek and all that was therein—men, women, children and livestock.

Saul and his army went to battle against the Amalakites. They killed all the men, women and children but spared the king himself, King Agag, and the best of all the livestock and anything they considered valuable.

The Lord revealed to Samuel Saul’s disobedience. Samuel went to confront Saul. Saul took the offensive and basically told Samuel he performed the commandment of the Lord.

Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears, and lowing of oxen which I hear? (NKJV)”

I can just imagine Saul trying to backtrack and think of a good excuse why he did not do everything the Lord commanded him. Saul came up with the excuse that they hadn’t destroyed the animals because they had saved the best to sacrifice to Samuel’s God.

It is interesting to me that Saul did not say to sacrifice to “Our God,” but instead said “Your God.” This showed he did not consider God his God but instead thought of Him as Samuel’s God only.

Of course Samuel knew Saul was not being completely honest and told Saul so. Saul once again tried to defend his actions.

Because of Saul’s disobedience and disregard for the Lord, the Lord decided to reject Saul as king over Israel.

I find this story very sobering. I wonder how many times the Lord told us to do something and we did only part of it? Then made excuses why we did not do everything He directed us to? Even made excuses that sounded religious or righteous.

We all have probably done this at one time or another, sometimes without even realizing it.

The only thing we can do at this point is to ask the Lord to forgive us for any time we have failed Him. And then ask Him to let us be more aware in the future and help us not to only do part of what He tells us to do.

I would encourage you to read the entire chapter of I Samuel 15. It contains so much more than I’ve mentioned here. I never tire of reading it. Each time I read it, something new jumps out at me. It holds so many lessons for us.

Each day is a gift. Determine today to totally obey God in whatever He tells you to do.

©2020 Bev Brown—All Rights Reserved

Follow Your Heart

In the Bible, I Kings 13:7-24 tells of a prophet of God who visited the king of Judah. After a series of events, the king tried to convince the prophet to come to his home so the he could reward the prophet.

The prophet adamantly refused. He told the king that even if the king were to give him half his house, the prophet would not go there nor would he eat or drink there. The prophet said the Lord had distinctly told him not to eat or drink anything, nor return home the way he came.

So he started home a different way than he came.

On that prophet’s way home, an older prophet heard about him. The older prophet went in search of the young prophet and found him sitting under a tree.

The older prophet verified the younger prophet was the one who had just came from Judah. The older prophet asked the younger prophet to come home and eat with him.

The younger prophet told the older prophet exactly what he had told the king—that he could not go with him because the Lord had specifically told him not to eat or drink anything and to go home by a different route.

The older prophet told the younger prophet that he too was a prophet and that the Lord had told him to bring the younger prophet back to his home to eat and drink. The older prophet was lying.

Out of respect and regard for the age and position of the elder prophet, the younger prophet went with him and ate bread and drank water.

The story doesn’t end well for the younger prophet. Because he disobeyed what the Lord had told him, a lion attacked him on his way home.

You may be wondering why I’ve told you this story. The reason is this, sometimes when God tells us something, others who we trust tell us something different than what we feel the Lord has told us.

That person might be a person we love and respect, or even someone we hold in high esteem. It might be someone in a position of authority. Because we do have regard for that person and their position of authority, it is sometimes easy for us to doubt ourselves and what we felt we heard. It is easy to be swayed by them because they are Christians too.

When you feel the Lord has told you something or even if you feel in your heart there is something you should or should not do, do not be easily influenced to do something different.

Examine your heart. Check your intents and motives. Is it something you feel deep within you should do or should not do? If so, hold firm to your conviction. Trust yourself.

Remember–no one is perfect. The person advising you might have the best of intentions. Or, as with the older the prophet, they might have an ulterior motive. Either way they may give you unwise advice.

I am not saying to be so stubborn you don’t listen to reason or to what another person says. Weigh what they say compared to how you feel. If there is something deep within you that tells you what you feel is right, then hold fast to that.

 

Each day is a gift. Hold firm to your convictions.

 

©2019 Bev Brown – All Rights Reserved