03-01-11 2nd recorded HighQuest Bible Study

The passage I read was 1 Samuel 15:1-23

You can find that passage here:

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Samuel%2015:1-23&version=NIV

My summary of the passage is this:

Samuel is obedient to God in relaying God’s message to Saul. The message was that God would punish the Amalekites and Saul was to go and attack them and the Amalekites were to be totally destroyed along with all that belongs to them. Saul was disobedient and though he did attack and by God utterly destroy his enemies, he also took Agag (their king) and the best of their sheep and cattle and lambs and everything that was good. When the Lord spoke to Samuel, he then went to Saul and upon confronting him about this, Saul excused his actions as being done to later make a sacrifice to the Lord. Samuel replies:

“Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams….”

As I reflect:

How often do we try to excuse our disobedience instead of acknowledging it’s hindrance in our service to our Lord and seeking out His guidance in correcting the issue of sin in us? I (like Saul) know that I have used excuses similar to allow for disobedience. I can’t think of any off the top of my head, but I’m human and I know that is human nature. What I ought to do is remember that human nature ought not rule me; for I am ruled by a super human super-nature God. And He’s even been so generous as to provide for me help in the form of His Holy Spirit. How much more should I not excuse sinful disobedience now then? To be wholly devoted to God, I believe would include not making excuses to allow for staying in comfort zones when we are called to do something. As believers and disciples of Christ there are a great many things we are all called to do; love God, your neighbor, your enemy, follow His commands, work in this great commission to reach others in love, etc. the list goes on and we too often settle to just check something off to feel better about ourselves. Our identity isn’t in the list, but our functionality as a body of believers is. Don’t check something off today to feel good about yourself. Instead, simply be obedient to our God and serve without excuse doing whatever He has called you to do.

My response to the Lord:

Holy God, My Father and my Master in Heaven, may I not be so arrogant to think that I can just change what you have told me to do. I desire that our relationship would be fruitful and that my live would bear good fruit for others. I don’t want to come up with excuses not to serve or get involved in the great commission. I don’t want to be a wall flower Christian. I am your disciple. I want to be used and be obedient in your service. Lord, I pray for wisdom and guidance in this race that I would never stray from your message. In Jesus name.