OBEDIENCE IS BETTER THAN SACRIFICE 1
21 THIS is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: “Take your burnt offerings and your other sacrifices and eat them yourselves!
22 WHEN I LED YOUR ANCESTORS OUT OF EGYPT, IT WAS NOT BURNT OFFERINGS AND SACRIFICES I WANTED FROM THEM.
23 THIS IS WHAT I TOLD THEM: ‘OBEY ME, AND I WILL BE YOUR GOD, AND YOU WILL BE MY PEOPLE. DO EVERYTHING AS I SAY, AND ALL WILL BE WELL!’"
Jeremiah 7:21-23 (NLT)
"SO Samuel said: “HAS THE LORD AS GREAT DELIGHT IN BURNT OFFERINGS AND SACRIFICES, As IN OBEYING THE VOICE OF THE LORD? Behold, TO OBEY IS BETTER THAN SACRIFICE, And TO HEED THAN THE FAT OF RAMS."
1 Samuel 15:22 (NKJV)
• God does not need your sacrifice like He does your obedience. He wants those who would follow Him wholeheartedly without losing their focus.
- It takes humility to follow God wholeheartedly. Whatever you offer God, you would reap back. If you are halfhearted in your walk or relationship with God, you would receive back accordingly.
- What God is asking for is total obedience; unwavering commitment and submission.
- When God instructed you to do a particular thing, whatever is needed to be done, He expected you to do or obey without any argument:
‘OBEY ME, AND I WILL BE YOUR GOD, AND YOU WILL BE MY PEOPLE. DO EVERYTHING AS I SAY, AND ALL WILL BE WELL!’" (Jeremiah 7:23 NLT).
• Contention
- What God needed is His rightful place in the life of whoever pledges an allegiance to Him.
- A believer would not have any problem in his or her relationship with God If such gives Him the rightful place that belongs to Him—in their lives.
- A number of people who claimed to be God's, prefer to govern or rule their lives by themselves, thinking that God is too difficult or strict to please.
- Flesh would want you to think that obedience to God, doing God's Will, or whatever He commanded is stringent and not possible:
5 THOSE WHO ARE DOMINATED BY THE SINFUL NATURE [the flesh] THINK ABOUT SINFUL THINGS, BUT THOSE WHO ARE CONTROLLED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT THINK ABOUT THINGS THAT PLEASE THE SPIRIT. 6 SO LETTING YOUR SINFUL NATURE [your flesh] CONTROL YOUR MIND LEADS TO DEATH. BUT LETTING THE SPIRIT CONTROL YOUR MIND LEADS TO LIFE AND PEACE. 7 FOR THE SINFUL NATURE IS ALWAYS HOSTILE TO GOD. IT NEVER DID OBEY GOD'S LAWS, AND IT NEVER WILL. 8 THAT'S WHY THOSE WHO ARE STILL UNDER THE CONTROL OF THEIR SINFUL NATURE CAN NEVER PLEASE GOD" (Romans 8:5-8 NLT). - God wanted the Israelites to live according to His Word, the principles found in the Scriptures, but they thought it was difficult to do.
- God gave them different laws; what to eat and what not to, dietary laws; what to wear, that is, the clothes to wear; how to worship Him, and how to relate with each others, their fellow Israelites and whoever.
- Note: God is interested in every area of life of whoever belongs to Him. Thus, If you did not want God to interfere in certain areas or parts of your life, intimacy with Him would be a mirage—becomes something illusory and unattainable.
• Before a sacrifice would be demanded from you by God, He would have gotten your heart.
- God is not interested in whatever you may want to give to Him, the sacrifice you already brought or you wanted to bring, but your submissive and obedient heart:
1 MOREOVER, BRETHREN, WE MAKE KNOWN TO YOU THE GRACE OF GOD BESTOWED ON THE CHURCHES OF MACEDONIA: 2 THAT IN A GREAT TRIAL OF AFFLICTION THE ABUNDANCE OF THEIR JOY AND THEIR DEEP POVERTY ABOUNDED IN THE RICHES OF THEIR LIBERALITY. 3 FOR I BEAR WITNESS THAT ACCORDING TO THEIR ABILITY, YES, AND BEYOND THEIR ABILITY, THEY WERE FREELY WILLING, 4 IMPLORING US WITH MUCH URGENCY THAT WE WOULD RECEIVE THE GIFT AND THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE MINISTERING TO THE SAINTS. 5 AND NOT ONLY AS WE HAD HOPED, BUT THEY FIRST GAVE THEMSELVES TO THE LORD, AND THEN TO US BY THE WILL OF GOD" (2 Corinthians 8:1-5). - If God needed sacrifice, He has the whole world, the animals in the forest are His; He would not need to ask you to bring one:
10 FOR EVERY BEAST OF THE FOREST IS MINE, AND THE CATTLE ON A THOUSAND HILLS. 11 I know all the birds of the mountains, And the wild beasts of the field are Mine. 12 “IF I WERE HUNGRY, I WOULD NOT TELL YOU; FOR THE WORLD IS MINE, AND ALL ITS FULLNESS. 13 WILL I EAT THE FLESH OF BULLS, OR DRINK THE BLOOD OF GOATS?" (Psalm 50:10-13 NKJV). - The total surrendering of the self is the first requirement to walk intimately with God.
• You will not fail in Jesus' name.
- Should there be any ailment in your body, receive your healing now in Jesus' name.
- Whatever hold of the enemy, the devil, in your life, such is broken now and never to be built again in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
Peace!
TO BE CONTINUED
STEPS TO SALVATION
• Take notice of this:
IF you are yet to take the step of salvation, that is, yet to be born-again, do it now, tomorrow might be too late (2 Corinthians 6:1,2; Hebrews 3:7,8,15).
a. Acknowledge that you are a sinner and confess your Sins (1 John 1:9); And ask Jesus Christ to come into your life (Revelation 3:20).
b. Confess that you believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is Lord, and that you confess it with your mouth, Thus, you accept Him As your Lord and Saviour (Romans 10:9,10).
c. As you took the steps A and B your name is written in the Book of Life (Philippians 4:3; Revelation 3:8).
- If you took the steps As highlighted above, congratulations, It means you are saved—born-again. Join a Word based church in your area and Town or city, and be part of whatever they are doing there. Peace!