"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."
- 1 Samuel 15:22
The part I'd like to focus on is "To obey is better than sacrifice". Recently in my life, God's Word has been coming to life more than ever. God has been allowing me to experience things to show me that He is God and that when He (or anyone he places as an authoritative figure) tells you to do something, you better do it.
I recently went on a trip out of the country. Before leaving the country my team went to student health to talk about vaccinations that we may take. The doctor suggested two vaccines, one for Typhoid fever and one for Malaria. Most of the team opted out of taking the vaccines and some bought them but once we arrived in Nicaragua, they decided to not continue taking them. I consulted with the doctor and my mom and we concluded that I should take both vaccines. After arriving in Nicaragua, I almost followed along and stopped taking them too. But the Holy Spirit told me "you need to continue taking this vaccine like the doctor suggested". Also, since I paid for it I didn't want to waste any money. Long story short, when we all returned, almost the entire team got sick, like really sick, but I only got a minor cold. Now whether or not it was because of not taking the vaccine to prevent them from getting sick, God used that situation to teach me a lesson. I could have very well been as sick as others, but I believe because I followed God's guidance and continued do as I was told. God spared me. Mark 16:18 (NIV) says. "they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well". Some people were told that they had salmonella in their bloodstream. I thought that was quite odd that I did not get the same and I ate all the same foods. Then I realized how true and how alive God's Word still is today.
Another point I would like to call out is the sacrifices we have to make when we sin instead of following and obeying God. A lot of people are dealing with heartache, relationships they aren't happy in, children when they aren't ready, sicknesses and more, because of not obeying God. When we obey God, he keeps us from all the plots, plans, and schemes the enemy tries to throw our way. Now we all know that God can turn a trial into a testimony and a mistake into a miracle, but when that happens we still have to deal with the consequences of our own choices. Our lives could be so much more blessed if we just get out of our own way. Obedience yields favor, blessings, joy, and so much more. It's so much better to live God's way first and not after we've made all our mistakes and need God's help. Let's focus on obedience more than we do repentance. When we are focused on obedience, we're striving to live the way God wants us to. We, then, don't get to the point of needing to repent. As the scripture says, God is more pleased when we do right by him, rather than pleading to him after we live the life we wanted to live. It can be hard, but that is why we must die to our selves daily. Put God first every morning you open your eyes and he'll last throughout the day. It's better to be obedient than to sacrifice all you have. God bless.
I recently went on a trip out of the country. Before leaving the country my team went to student health to talk about vaccinations that we may take. The doctor suggested two vaccines, one for Typhoid fever and one for Malaria. Most of the team opted out of taking the vaccines and some bought them but once we arrived in Nicaragua, they decided to not continue taking them. I consulted with the doctor and my mom and we concluded that I should take both vaccines. After arriving in Nicaragua, I almost followed along and stopped taking them too. But the Holy Spirit told me "you need to continue taking this vaccine like the doctor suggested". Also, since I paid for it I didn't want to waste any money. Long story short, when we all returned, almost the entire team got sick, like really sick, but I only got a minor cold. Now whether or not it was because of not taking the vaccine to prevent them from getting sick, God used that situation to teach me a lesson. I could have very well been as sick as others, but I believe because I followed God's guidance and continued do as I was told. God spared me. Mark 16:18 (NIV) says. "they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well". Some people were told that they had salmonella in their bloodstream. I thought that was quite odd that I did not get the same and I ate all the same foods. Then I realized how true and how alive God's Word still is today.
Another point I would like to call out is the sacrifices we have to make when we sin instead of following and obeying God. A lot of people are dealing with heartache, relationships they aren't happy in, children when they aren't ready, sicknesses and more, because of not obeying God. When we obey God, he keeps us from all the plots, plans, and schemes the enemy tries to throw our way. Now we all know that God can turn a trial into a testimony and a mistake into a miracle, but when that happens we still have to deal with the consequences of our own choices. Our lives could be so much more blessed if we just get out of our own way. Obedience yields favor, blessings, joy, and so much more. It's so much better to live God's way first and not after we've made all our mistakes and need God's help. Let's focus on obedience more than we do repentance. When we are focused on obedience, we're striving to live the way God wants us to. We, then, don't get to the point of needing to repent. As the scripture says, God is more pleased when we do right by him, rather than pleading to him after we live the life we wanted to live. It can be hard, but that is why we must die to our selves daily. Put God first every morning you open your eyes and he'll last throughout the day. It's better to be obedient than to sacrifice all you have. God bless.