Obedience over Sacrifice; Stubbornness is Idolatry/ 1 Samuel Chapters 13-15

In the Passage you see Saul gathering his men and Johnathan claim a great victory in the name of God.  That Victory alone we could write a devotion and sermon on. Having trust and faith in God and obeying him and watching the Victory he gives you in life.  It is a great motivator for the day. You put your faith in God and He can/ will use you to archive a victory. 

In the same Three passages, we see something else as well; Saul, king of Israel disobey God at every turn. He would build altars wherever he went and he performed the duties of the priest before Samuel could get there and perform them himself. He was impatient and selfish, driven only by his pride. That same pride nearly got his son killed over Saul banning anyone to eat until he said to. But this all came to a head in chapter 15 when Saul disobeyed God by refusing to wipe out the enemy and allowing his men to indulge and take spoils of war. 

No amount of double talk could prevent Saul from punishment. He believed he could bribe God by using the spoils as a better sacrifice to him. There is a problem with that. You can not bribe God.  In the end, Samuel came to him and removed the kingdom from Saul in the name of God.

In this quick recap, what is the lesson here? God is not looking for me to write the biggest paycheck I can and hand it over to the church. Lord, I am not so dumb as to think I can Bribe my way into your good graces. When I start to think like that I end up putting myself above you and thinking I am more important Than God. and that is Idolatry and sin at it's best. Putting in the way that will take my eyes ff God. 

But Lord your word has the choices I need to make, 1 Samuel 15:22 "Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams." 

Lord, I pray that I will obey your will today. Help me to be humble and obedient to your will. I ask these things in Jesus name Amen.