1 Samuel 15:22 Obedience
Food for Thought
An all-creatures.org Guide to Kingdom Living

By Marni Montanez

1 Samuel 15:22 New International Version

22. But Samuel replied: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord?  To obey is better than sacrifice, Obedience is key to serving God with love.

When we obey God we are expressing our trust and love for Him.

1 John 5:3 New International Version

3. In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,

God loves us so much that He requires obedience, because He knows our obedience to Him will keep us in the center of His will and out of the enemy’s line of attack.  In this way, obedience is our protection.  

It is crucial to stay on the path designed for each one of us.   For Christians, self will was laid down when we accepted God’s will as our own.  

He created us for a life, a lifestyle and a task we will need for our calling and purpose.

In the center of God’s will is God’s presence.  God dwells within His own peace and when we are dwelling in the center of His will we too experience His abundant peace.  

All that is within God is good.  He is spiritual, emotional and physical goodness.

Psalm 34:8 New International Version

8. Taste and see that the Lord is good;
blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.

When we are obedient to God, it proves our love and faithfulness to Him. Our submission aligns us with His will which puts us directly on the path He designed for us.

Jeremiah 7:23

But this is what I commanded them, saying, 'Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you will be My people; and you will walk in all the way which I command you, that it may be well with you.'

Being obedient is rarely easy; however when we do struggle to obey, it builds in us the godly character and spiritual strength and wisdom we need to fulfill our life’s purpose.

Challenge:  Spend time waiting on God; especially when you have difficult issues to address. When God speaks to your heart and you know He is speaking do what He says.  It will always work out.

God bless,

Marni

Go on to: 1 Samuel 17:47 - The Battle is the Lord's
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The purpose of this series is to encourage people to live as loving, compassionate, and peacemaking children of God: Jesus tells us to pray, "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." (Matthew 6:10) God tells us through Micah (6:8), "He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God." And we know from Revelation 21:4 that there will be no more mourning, or crying, or pain, or death. Thus, Christian living requires us to set the standards of these conditions here on earth for our fellow human beings, and for the other animals, as a witness to the rest of the world. To do otherwise is not Christian.