NO EXCUSE
1 Samuel 15:1-23

An excuse for disobeying the Word of God is an excuse to be denied from the blessings of God. From the beginning of creation, there has been no record of reasonable, or acceptable, excuses for disobeying God. Adam had the best of all excuses, but it failed to matter before God. Adam did not ask for a companion when God decided to give him one that dragged him into disobeying the word of God. Genesis 2:18, “And the LORD God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.”” The comparable helper was Eve. When Eve fell to the deception of the serpent by eating from the tree that God required not to eat from, Adam was also given some of the fruit. After eating from the tree of life, the Lord came down into the garden to call on Adam. God found out in Adam’s response that he had eaten from where he was not supposed to eat from. Genesis 3:11-12, “And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?” 12 Then the man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.”” There was no better excuse for disobeying God that could be better than Adam’s. Indeed, Adam did not ask for a helper, but God gave a helper that made him sin. What kind of help are you receiving from an identifiable helper of yours? God commanded King Saul, “Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’” (1 Samuel 15:3) Saul took the command and failed to respond fully. At the time when Samuel came to inquire Saul about the operation, Saul gave a reasonable excuse. One that was reasonable in his own eyes, but not to God, “And Saul said, “They have brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep and the oxen, to sacrifice to the LORD your God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.” (1 Samuel 15:15) Saul did not fully comply with God’s commands and there could not have been a reasonable sacrifice from the spoil of the war. Samuel pointed it out to Saul, “…To obey is better than sacrifice…” (1 Samuel 15:22) Think of the command before you do it, and if it is not in full compliance, no acceptable sacrifice will come out of it. Disobedience to the commands of God is equal to rejecting God. Rejecting God will cause man to be rejected likewise by God.

Prayer for today: Father, deliver me from every conscious, or unconscious, way of disobeying your command that your name will be glorified in my life.