18 And the Lord sent you on a mission and said, ‘Go, devote to destruction the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed.’ 19 Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord? Why did you pounce on the spoil and do what was evil in the sight of the Lord?” 20 And Saul said to Samuel, “I have obeyed the voice of the Lord. I have gone on the mission on which the Lord sent me. I have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and I have devoted the Amalekites to destruction. ~ 1 Samuel 15:18-21
Saul was a people pleaser more than a God pleaser. He always seemed to believe that sacrifice was more important than obedience. He didn’t learn from the last time he sacrificed instead of obeying. It’s like he just didn’t get that God wanted obedience. His need to please the people was stronger than his need to please God. It’s almost like us today when we say God understands.
This is just like Saul when he says, God understands those animals weren’t taken for us, but to offer a sacrifice to Him, so God should be pleased. Like us, Saul tried to justify his disobedience, although he should have known better after all those years of being guided/mentored by Samuel and hearing from God Himself.
Today we have the word of God and the Holy Spirit to guide us, but more often than not, we do everything based on our feelings versus what God says because God understands that we’re mere men and made from dust. These are the lies of the enemy that we believe. These are the lies that keep us in bondage.
LORD, help us to stop making excuses for our disobedience and ask for forgiveness. Help us to lay it on the altar, draw close to You, and put up a fight against our flesh. Encourage us as our flesh weakens the more we walk in obedience to You. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.
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