Why Is Obeying God So Hard?

God told Saul exactly what to do: completely destroy the Amalekite nation. And what did Saul do? He destroyed what was worthless or of poor quality, and kept everything that appealed to him — King Agag, the best of the sheep and goats, the cattle, the fat calves, and the lambs. His desire mattered more than God's word. Everyday choices are spiritual choices because they reveal who is on the throne over your life: You or Jesus. The prayer question to ask ourselves is, 'Jesus, are You leading me here, or am I leading myself?' Sin creeps in one tiny choice at a time. When Jesus is on the throne, He points it out to us.

The Lord tells Samuel He is sorry He ever made Saul king, and Samuel cries out to the Lord all night. Meanwhile Saul went to Carmel to set up a monument to himself and then went on to Gilgal. When Samuel finds him, Saul greets him cheerfully, 'May the Lord bless you. I have carried out the Lord's command!' And Samuel replies, 'Then what is all the bleating of sheep and goats and the lowing of cattle I hear?' Saul admits he spared the best — but explains they are going to sacrifice them to the Lord. It is the literal picture of some believers: living their life Monday through Saturday doing whatever they wanted, then showing up to 'worship' God on Sunday. Worship to God isn't about the sound coming out of your mouth; it's about your heart. The moment you get saved, every second of your life is about worshipping God. Saul acknowledges he disobeyed, but he has convinced himself — and tries to convince God — that he has a spiritual reason for disobeying. Saul wants to substitute religious activity for obedience. Listen/obey in the Old Testament means hearing with the intention of doing what you heard. God does not only want us to hear His Word; He wants us to let His Word change our choices.

Samuel's words cut to the heart: 'What is more pleasing to the Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams. Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft, and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols.' God removed Saul and replaced him with David — a man after God's own heart who would do everything God wanted him to do. The scariest thing is that when we start lying to ourselves, we can start lying to God. Saul's downfall is not that he was imperfect — David would fail too. The difference is what happened when they were confronted: Saul protected his image. David repented. If you read the entire story around Saul, Saul feared people more than he feared God. Saul said, 'I will do what looks best to me.' Jesus said, 'I will do the Father's will, even when it costs Me everything.' Because of Jesus: you are forgiven when you mess up. Your past is not held over you. The Holy Spirit lives in you and gives you power for your next choice. Walking with faith is not white-knuckling your way through life. It is asking the Holy Spirit, before the text, purchase, post, argument, decision, temptation, or commitment: 'Jesus, what does following You look like right now?'