But Samuel replied, “what is more pleasing to the LORD: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Obedience is far better than sacrifice. Listening to him is much better than offering the fat of rams. 1 Samuel 15:22

In sports, we sometimes hear of athletes who, for one reason or another, are disqualified from their races or events or even ejected from the game. Ouch! We know that all sporting events have rules and expectations for behavior. This wrong behavior can include such things as betting/gambling on game outcomes, fighting, using bad language, starting before the gun signals the beginning of a race, targeting, taking illegal performance-enhancing drugs, or just plain ignoring the rules of play. So when someone goes against the rules, there is an appropriate penalty or punishment.

In 1 Samuel 15, we see King Saul with wrong ‘game-day’ behavior. The prophet Samuel gave God’s specific ‘game instructions’ to King Saul (which he ignored). The LORD had decided to settle accounts with the nation of Amalek for opposing Israel when they came out of Egypt. As king, it was Saul’s responsibility to follow God’s instructions exactly. He was supposed to destroy the entire Amalekite nation and take no spoil. But what Saul actually did fell short of the exact instructions, as he allowed the Amalekite King to live and kept the best of the livestock. Ut oh! Time out! Foul! Penalty flag!

It was a hard lesson for Saul to learn. His partial obedience was disobedience and showed his heart of making rules and doing what he wanted. Saul disrespected and disregarded God’s instruction. He directly violated what he was told to do, and as a result, Saul was disqualified as king! The kingdom is eventually torn away from Saul, but it would have gone so much better had he obeyed the voice of the LORD!

And so it is with us. We can choose to obey the voice of the LORD or not. However, keep in mind that God has important things for you to do. He is counting on you to listen closely, to trust Him, and to obey His voice. Remember, obeying is better than sacrifice! Do you want to be disqualified from your kingdom for ignoring a word from the LORD? Spend time with Him. Engage with and tune into His specific directions. He will tell you which way to go and whether to turn to the left or right. He may not show you the next five steps, but all you need is the next step. So take it! And do your best to honor and follow the ‘game rules’ God has established, and as you do, you are demonstrating respect and honor to God. Stay in the game!

Reflection:

What lessons can we learn from Saul’s example in 1 Samuel 15?

Is there any partial obedience in your life?

How can you be qualified for a leadership position in service to God?