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. I Samuel 15:22
Each day it seems as if our nation sinks to new lows in morality. Daily the major news networks carry the stories of people who have been engaged in immoral behavior. This behavior leaders to their downfall.
Question: “Are there things in our lives, if made public, would certainly lead to our downfall?”
Someone once said, “Everyone would leave town if our sins were recorded in the local newspaper.”
In I Samuel 15 we read the first hand account of the downfall of a king. This kings name is Saul. He was called to be Israel’s first king. His calling came out of his nations desire to be like the other nations of the world. His life would be filled with constant battles with the enemies of Israel. His life would end on a battle field. His story is of one who fell hard because his life did not line up with God.
Three things directed this man to his certain downfall. We see them in Vs: 18-19:
- Saul disobeyed God’s command.
- Saul desired the treasure of this world.
- Saul willfully sinned against God.
Let’s think through these steps for a moment. God clearly directed Saul, but Saul said, “I do not want to do this.” Saul’s desire was to have his own plan. Saul set aside God’s plan to accomplish his own plan.
Question: “Has this ever happened to you?” Maybe even now you are about to step into a moment that will lead you down. I plead with you, obey God’s Word. Pray and confess the unholy desires in your heart. Reject the old nature that is pulling at you.
Truly there is a better way. God wants your heart first. Seek Him fully and submit to Him fully. Joy will come to your life!!!
Check out Mark 12:28-33
28 And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” 32 And the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that he is one, and there is no other besides him.33 And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”