Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.
- 1 Samuel 15:22
Thoughts on Today’s Verse…
The Bible recorded that Jehovah God commanded Saul to utterly destroy the Amalekites, but Saul spared the sheep and cattle according to his own thoughts. Since Saul had rejected God’s words, God had also rejected him from being king. From that we can see that God hopes man can follow His words and He detests man’s disobedience. God says, “To God, no matter whether a person is great or insignificant, as long as they can listen to Him, obey His instructions and what He entrusts, and can cooperate with His work, His will, and His plan, so that His will and His plan can be accomplished smoothly, then that conduct is worthy of His commemoration and worthy of receiving His blessing. God treasures such people, and He cherishes their actions and their love and affection for Him. This is God’s attitude.” God’s words have made His will so clear. It reminds me of Abraham: When God asked him to offer his only son Isaac, he was willing to do so because of his obedience to God. Not only did God not allow Abraham to kill his son, but He also blessed him: God made his progeny as numerous as the stars of heaven, and as plentiful as the sand on the sea shore; And in his progeny shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. The fact shows us that God especially treasures man’s obedience to Him. God says, “God gave Abraham a son, and when that son had grown up, God asked Abraham to offer his son to God. Abraham followed God’s command to the letter, he obeyed God’s word, and his sincerity moved God and was treasured by God. How much did God treasure it? And why did He treasure it? At a time when no one comprehended God’s words or understood His heart, Abraham did something that shook the heaven and trembled the earth, and it made God feel an unprecedented sense of satisfaction, and brought God the joy of gaining someone who was able to obey His words. This satisfaction and joy came from a creature made by God’s own hand, and was the first ‘sacrifice’ that man had offered to God and that was most treasured by God, since man was created.” When God asks us to do something, what God cares about is not our actions on the surface, but our attitude toward His words, and whether our hearts are with Him or considerate of Him. These are what God treasures most. This kind of heart is called the most precious sacrifice by God.
Oh God, we’ve understood Your will from Your words. You like our obedience to You better than material sacrifice. May You help us in our future lives, so that we can obey Your requirements. We wish to offer our hearts to You, and be praised by You. Amen!
You are welcome to use our Bible Verse of the Day to enrich your spiritual life.
Today’s Verse Illustrated