Word Wednesday

"Lord, Just Be Pleased (Part 2)”

Evelyn Fordham Goodman

August 12, 2015

"What is more pleasing to the Lord:

your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice?

Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.

1 Samuel 15:22 (NLT)

Have you ever resented a gift?

The packaging was pretty and the presentation impressive, but what should've made you happy actually turned your stomach.

You knew the motive behind the gift was not sincere, but instead a selfish attempt on the giver's part to assuage their own conscience and make themselves feel good.

In 1 Samuel 15 we find King Saul and his men poised to give God a gift. Still in the euphoric afterglow of success, King Saul and his men victoriously bring home King Agag and the best animals from the land of the Amalekites. They are careful to select the choicest trophies with the intent of gifting them to God.

But what looked like a pious posture of praise was in fact a self-centered scene of stubbornness.

Instead of completely destroying the entire Amalekite nation as was instructed by God through the prophet Samuel,

King Saul ignored God's directive and kept what should have been demolished.

How many times have we justified our disobedience, placing a bow on top and offering it to God?

Instead of offering true worship from a contrite heart, we gift wrap rebellion and present it to God.

Today, may we offer the gifts God loves to accept- a broken spirit and repentant heart.

PRAYER:

Oh Lord, have mercy on us. We have all sinned and come short of your glory. Empty us of denial and rationalization and fill us instead with honesty and willingness to do Thy will.

In Jesus' name,

Amen

FURTHER READING:

1 Samuel 15

Psalm 51

© 2015 by Evelyn Goodman. All rights reserved.

www.evelyngoodman.blogspot.com