FAITH CAPSULE: It is always wrong to do His instruction outside of His way.

1 Samuel 15

In your entire walk with God, know to do right and not just know about God’s instruction. Do you know better? King David knew better, he had a relationship with God that was amazing; in-fact God called him “a man after God’s own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14) So while David wanted to bring the Ark back to Israel which is a good thing, he decided to do it in a fancy way not the way God wanted. In that fancy, Uzzah’s life paid costly by touching the Ark when he was wrong to touch it. Eventually, David brought the Ark back to Israel the right way.
In our lives there are so many things God is telling us or instructing us, but we are stubborn and want to do God a favor in our way. For real, we are to OBEY God in His way not in our way.
Saul obeyed instruction of God in his own way, he was not careful with God’s instruction and it was costly for his life. This is what happened to Saul taking to his way in the place of God’s way: “Samuel also said to Saul, “The Lord sent me to anoint you king over His people, over Israel. Now therefore, heed the voice of the words of the Lord. 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. 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 15:1-3) Saul was stubborn as he went his own way, disobeying God.
I Samuel 15:7-9 recorded Saul’s choice to disobeying God, “Saul attacked the Amalekites, from Havilah all the way to Shur, which is east of Egypt.  He also took Agag king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. 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.” In life, pleasing God is obeying God’s instruction. Displeasing God is being stubborn or pleasing self in the way of doing God’s instruction. It is wrong and it will always be wrong to do His instruction outside of His way.
With faith in God’s word, seek God diligently to please Him. Hebrews 11:6 heartens, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”
Samuel delivered God’s verdict to Saul for his disobedient, “…Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel.” (1 Samuel 15:26) Saul did wrong before God: He was rejected concerning his disobedient.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace not to live for Him wrongly.