ESOCS Devotional 24 August
TEXT: 1 Samuel 16: 1-11
MEMORY VERSE: “Now the Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, SeeingI have Rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil,and go; I am sending you to Jesse the Bethlehemite. For I have provided Myself a king among his sons.”1 Samuel 16:1
Saul’s disobedience led to his rejection. When God gives an instruction, He wants us to obey Him completely. We should not add or subtract (Rev. 22:18, 19). Simple obedience to the will and commandment of God would do us much good. Disobedience would mean many negative and uncomplimentary things: lack of the fear of God; lack of reverence and respect for God; desire to be stubborn and deviant; and the like. It would profit us nothing; it would only bring us problems like it did to Saul.
The word of God is plain. It is not difficult to understand. It is made up of things to do or not to do. Let us simply comply with them always. It is the only wise thing to do. We have a God who is merciful. He is lenient and liberal. He will never force us to obey Him. Yet, if we refuse to obey Him, it would not be well with us. It is not because He is hard on us. It is not because He is being very stringent with us. NO! It is because He loves us. He is omniscient; and therefore knows the end result of everything we may want to do. He knows the things we would do that would bring us trouble in the end. Consequently, He laid out plans that would help us not to get into trouble. Those plans are the laws and commandments He has given us. We need to make the conscious effort to cultivate the attitude to obey them. Let it become a culture in us.
Read yesterday’s ESOCS Devotional here
Saul was rejected! David became God’s better substitute; and Saul lost out forever. We should not do things that would make God reject us and get a replacement for us. He said concerning Saul, “I have rejected him from reigning over Israel.” May God not reject us now, or at the end of time! God is the SOLE AUTHORITY in heaven and on earth. Let us obey Him in all things. There is abundance of joy in obedience. When we obey Him continually, we would fit into the image of our Lord Jesus His dear Son. Remember He came to do the Father’s will; and He held onto it like a creed. He said, “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me” (John 6:38). The first Adam was supposed to obey God and do His will continually; but he failed. God rejected him. The second Adam, our Lord Jesus, became a better replacement. He obeyed God completely all through His life on earth. God was glorified in Him. Let us be like the second Adam. Let us not live a life that is unprofitable to God.
Saul listened to his heart and the counsel of people rather than hold onto God’s instructions. In the process, he made the word of God less important and got himself into trouble. Let us not be like him. Let us be like Jesus in all things.
CHALLENGES
- Lay out plans on how to teach your heart to obey God in all things.
- Do you see obedience to God as a matter of obligation or something that is optional?
PRAYER POINT:
- Pray the Holy Spirit to help you cultivate the attitude of obedience to God’s will.
- Pray that you would never disobey God because of people or circumstances of life.
FURTHER READING:Malachi 4:1–6; 2 Samuel 1:1-15; Romans 15:22-32; 15:13-21
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ESOCS Devotional 23rd August
