From the Desk of Pastor Owens
Trusting God Enough to Obey
Scripture: “To obey is better than sacrifice.” — 1 Samuel 15:22 (ESV)
It is possible to believe in God, attend church, and even do many good things while still resisting what God asks of us. Saul's story in 1 Samuel 15 reminds us that disobedience does not always look like outright rebellion. Sometimes it looks like partial obedience—doing what we agree with while changing what we do not agree with.
God gave Saul a clear command, but Saul kept what God told him to destroy. When confronted, he offered an explanation: the people had saved the animals to sacrifice to God. Saul had a reason, but his reason did not change what God had commanded.
Samuel responded, “To obey is better than sacrifice.”
That challenges all of us. We can find ways to make our choices sound reasonable, spiritual, or necessary. We can allow the opinions of others to influence us. We can convince ourselves that because we are doing some good things, the things we refuse to surrender do not matter.
But faith is not merely agreeing with God. Faith trusts God enough to obey Him, even when obedience is difficult or does not make sense to us.
For someone who is unsure about Christianity, Saul's story raises an important question: What if following God is not primarily about religious activity, but about learning to trust the One who calls you? Christianity invites us into a relationship with God through Jesus Christ—a relationship that changes not only what we believe, but how we live.
For the Christian, the question is even more personal: Am I becoming more like Christ, or am I asking God to adjust His will to fit mine? Jesus demonstrated complete surrender to the Father, even when obedience was costly. Following Christ means continually allowing Him to shape our desires, decisions, attitudes, and character.
REFLECT
Is there an area where I am obeying God selectively?
Am I making excuses for something God is asking me to surrender?
Whose approval has more influence over my decisions—people's or God's?
Am I trusting God enough to obey when I do not understand?
THIS WEEK
Before making a difficult decision, pause and pray:
“Lord, help me trust You enough to obey You, even when Your way is different from my way.”
Then take one step of obedience.
PRAYER
Lord, show me where I have allowed excuses, fear, pride, or the opinions of others to interfere with obedience. Give me a heart that trusts You more than I trust myself. Help me surrender what You are asking me to surrender and become more like Christ in the way I live. Amen.
REMEMBER
Partial obedience is still disobedience. God is not simply asking us to do more for Him; He is asking us to trust Him enough to obey.
