Obedience Over Sacrifice | AS BOLD AS LIONS DEVOTIONAL | March 29, 2023

Obedience Over Sacrifice | AS BOLD AS LIONS DEVOTIONAL | March 29, 2023

Then Samuel said: “Does the LORD take pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the LORD?” 1 Samuel 15:22

Saul was a king who could execute a battle plan successfully. He was a warrior; able to engage the enemy and conquer Israel’s foe. But his fatal flaw was being unable to completely carry out the instructions God gave him. In 1 Samuel 15, Saul defeats the Amalekites but spares their king and several livestock even though his instructions are to destroy everything. Instead of obeying, Saul sets up an altar and offers a sacrifice to God. In this, God is not pleased and rejects him as king.

David was a king who was after God’s heart. Hungry, humble, and obedient, he followed God’s command to the letter and didn’t seek to take the kingship by force, waiting until God gave it to him. David made mistakes too, but he was quick to repent and turn away from his sin. Saul let his pride get in the way. In these two lives, there is much we can learn about persistence and waiting for God’s perfect timing.

Question for today: If God sees obedience as more desirable than sacrifice, how do I apply this to my life?

Pray: Lord, keep me humble today knowing that you delight in an obedient heart. Forgive me for pridefully trying to do things on my own.

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