Faith capsule: God’s command is not a suggestion but to be engaged.
1 Samuel 15
God alone is the Commanding commander. God’s command is not a suggestion but a must that must be done. God commanded Saul through Samuel, “Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, how he ambushed him on the way when he came up from Egypt. 3 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 15:2-3) The message was a command not a suggestion, or an idea. Saul made a choice not to prosecute the command of God. Saul engaged disobedience not to fully carry out God’s command.
Saul went as commanded, “But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were unwilling to utterly destroy them. But everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed.” (1 Samuel 15:9) After carrying out part of the command, Samuel condemned Saul for his failure to fully obey as commanded by God. The bible recorded Saul’s response to Samuel, “…Blessed are you of the LORD! I have performed the commandment of the LORD.” (1 Samuel 15:13) Saul clearly disobeyed God. Saul’s excuse was to, “…Spared the best 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) Under heaven, there is no excuse that can prevail.
Are you having excuse for the consequence of disobedience to God’s word? Before God, Saul’s excuse does not go far before God, but it stopped him from going further in the hand according to God’s divine agenda for His life. As a believer, it is important to know that no excuse is a supplement that can complement any act of disobedience to the word of God. The best excuse documented in the pages of the bible was of Adam when God approached him for having eaten from the tree of life. Adam responded to God, “…The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.” (Genesis 3:12) Adam’s excuse was a reasonable one because he did not ask for a woman it was God that made Eve for him. However, every violation of God’s command is an avenue that complicates the journey of life. God’s command is not be compromised.
Prayer for today: Ask God for grace and mercy to walk in the line obedience to His command.