Samuel replied, “Has the Lord as much pleasure in your burnt offerings and sacrifices as in your obedience? OBEDIENCE IS FAR BETTER THAN SACRIFICE. It is better to DO WHAT HE SAYS than to offer the fat of rams.” (1 Samuel 15:22) We all know that sacrifice isn’t easy, nor is it supposed to be. So, WHAT MAKES US THINK THAT OBEDIENCE SHOULD BE EASY? Unfortunately, many of us learn obedience through our suffering and often at our own hands; having made choices that satisfied our fleshly nature rather than SEEKING THE WILL OF GOD for the current situation before making our choices. It is in these instances, that we typically learn the hard way that WE SHOULD HAVE OBEYED THE STILL SMALL VOICE WITHIN US (yes, the Lord does speak see John 10:3,4,16, 27) instead of our own. Other times, God may take us through a storm in order to refine us and make us MORE RELIANT ON HIM. Regardless of the cause of our suffering, we have an opportunity to be STRENGTHENED AND PERFECTED BY IT, to become MORE LIKE CHRIST.
Remember, when we, “…live according to the flesh have their minds set on what THE FLESH DESIRES; but those who live in accordance with the SPIRIT have their minds SET ON WHAT THE SPIRIT DESIRES…So then, those who are IN THE FLESH CANNOT PLEASE GOD…But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead DWELLS IN YOU (because you are saved), He who raised Christ from the dead will also GIVE LIFE (zōopoieō: make us spiritually alive) to your mortal bodies through His Spirit WHO DWELLS IN YOU.” (Romans 8:5,8,11)
What does this mean for us? “…you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received THE SPIRIT OF ADOPTION by whom we cry out, “ABBA (daddy), FATHER.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are CHILDREN OF GOD, and if children, then HEIRS (klēronomos: a person legally entitled to the property or rank of another)—HEIRS OF GOD AND JOINT HEIRS WITH CHRIST…” (Romans 8:15-17) Wonderful, now how will we know exactly what our Father wants us to do? He says, “Call to Me, and I WILL ANSWER YOU, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” (Jeremiah 33:3)
Your Personal Pastor -Bill Stockham