20 March | EVERYONE
"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
Down the dusty road, the king and his victorious hosts return, satisfied that they had defeated the enemy. They dragged among the captives the Amalekite monarch, vanquished and humiliated. There should be joy in the city since they won. However, a dark cloud of worry hangs in the air. It is a strange feeling with a taste of tragedy. No branches are agitated. There is no joy in people’s faces. They only feel anxiety and uneasiness. The day turns to the color of the night, while the mooing of the oxen is heard.
Saul is the only one who seems happy. But the prophet Samuel goes out to meet him and asks him why he did not carry out the order to destroy everything he had found in the enemy’s city. The king reasons and tries to explain, "Why should we waste these cattle, if we can offer them as a sacrifice to God?" The prophet's answer is in today's verse.
Samuel did not say that sacrifices were not necessary. Religious rituals had their place in the life of the worshipper. But nothing should replace obedience; that is, to follow faithfully the God who is love. Unfortunately, today's culture has practically made music and emotion the center of its worship. Both are good, but if they are not accompanied by faithfulness to the Lord, they are a hollow bell that produces a sad melody.
Good works, however noble they may seem, are no substitute for genuine obedience. That is why the Lord Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21).
Take Action
Are you willing to let God's love melt your heart to follow all His counsels instead of limiting yourself to formal rites to cover up appearances? Sing "What Pleases the Lord" (if possible, with your family).