We have embarked on a journey of discovering a truth that indeed God speaks, of knowing how he speaks and the various ways he speaks to us and learning ways in which we can distinguish His voice from other voices. 

All the above is a never-ending journey. It is continuous and you learn as you go which is why you ought to be patient with yourself and extend grace towards yourself.

But there is something important that you must do when God speaks to you.

OBEY.

Obedience

I am certain we have heard this word so many times it’s become so normal. But one thing we must learn and understand is to never take God’s word casually.

Saul did this, and it did not end well for him.

In 1 Samuel 15, Saul was given clear instructions to attack the Amalekites and to completely destroy everything – everyone and everything (vs. 3). Saul was like, ‘Cool. Let’s go.’ 

But he had other plans: he killed everyone and everything except the king of the Amalekites (King Agag) and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and everything that was good [vs.9a]. The Bible says :’…and they were not willing to destroy them entirely; but everything that was undesirable or worthless they destroyed completely’ [vs.9b]. 

So, what he did was pick from God’s instructions what suited him. He saw that picking the best oxen and the best animals was better than doing what God had said he should do. It’s like God didn’t know what he was doing when he gave his instructions.

DISOBEDIENCE.

Kind of like Jonah, huh? He is told to go to Nineveh but because he knows better, thinks he knows better; he turns the other direction and heads to Tarsus.

In vs 10 God tells Samuel to go to speak to Saul and when he does, Saul tells Samuel (vs. 15), ‘They have brought them (the animals) from the Amalekites, for the people spared the best of the sheep and oxen to sacrifice to the Lord your God; but the rest we have destroyed completely’. 

Excuses.

Justifying his disobedience. 

Samuel rebukes him and asks him why he did what he did (vs. 17-19) and in vs 20-21 Saul insists he obeyed and only took the animals for sacrifice. And the next verse is where we find the famous Christian principle that says, ‘Obedience is better than sacrifice’.

‘Has the Lord as great a delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices

As in obedience to the voice of the Lord?

Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed [is better] than the fat of rams

For rebellion is as [serious as] the sin of divination (fortune-telling)

And disobedience is as [serious as] false religion and idolatry.

Because you have rejected the word of the LORD

He also has rejected you as King.’

~ 1 Samuel 15:23-24 AMP

To obey is better than sacrifice. To obey is better than you offering whatever you had planned to offer. Disobedience is as serious as idolatry. Rebelling against God- not doing what God says, is just as serious as divination.

We are called to Obey.

This is a high calling to us believers.

To obey God. To follow his bidding. To respond to the urge you feel in your stomach that is from him.

Heather Lindsey says, ‘Your yes will affect the generations after you’. Your job isn’t to understand the ‘why’. Your job isn’t to figure how you’re going to get to where you’re supposed to go.

Your job is to obey. To trust – in the little things and in the big things.

It may seem irrational, and there will be times when it doesn’t make sense and you can’t understand, but it isn’t your task to figure it out-yours is to obey. To have CRAZY FAITH that says, ‘It doesn’t make sense, but I will do it.’

‘It makes me uncomfortable, but I will go because God you said I go. And because your plans for me are to prosper me and not to harm me. You will take care of me. You will take care of my family. You will provide for me. You will lead me and even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for you are with me. Your rod and your staff comfort me.’

What is God calling you to do? What has he told you to do that you are postponing?

Is it to start a blog? Is it to start a bible study? 

Is it to reconcile with your family members?

Or is it as simple as spending more time with him? Waking up at 3am; yes! 3am, to pray and receive from him?

Don’t rebel against God.

Do what he is telling you to do.

Avail yourself like Samuel who told God, ‘Speak, thy servant is listening’. And he will lead, direct your steps and help you through it all.

~Renee.