Partial Obedience is Not Obedience
“Then Samuel went to Saul, and Saul said to him, ‘Blessed are you of the LORD! I have performed the commandment of the LORD.’ But Samuel said, ‘What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?’ 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.’ Then Samuel said to Saul, ‘Be quiet! And I will tell you what the LORD said to me last night.’ And he said to him, ‘Speak on.'” (1 Samuel 15:13-16).
As I read that passage, I find myself wondering what Saul’s real motive in sparing the sheep and oxen and King Agag. Was it so others could see his victory? Was he going to keep the animals for himself and turn Agag into a slave? Scripture doesn’t say but what is clear from this account is that Saul did not obey God. He tried to convince Samuel that he had since he’d obeyed part of God’s order but part was not enough. Because of one selfish act of disobedience, “the LORD regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel” (1 Samuel 15:35). How sad.
Excuses seem to be part of our human nature. I’ve seen children try to convince parents that they really did carry out their instructions. Maybe they folded part of the laundry they were asked to or washed some of the dishes; however, part is not what they were asked to do. Their job was not finished. As children in the Lord, our tendency can be to make excuses. “Don’t worry, Lord, I’ll talk to that person next time.” “Sorry, Lord, I was just too tired today but I’ll do it next time.” As we grow in the Spirit, we can no longer make those excuses. If we desire to live in the Spirit, we must walk in the Spirit and that walk begins with having a heart that is willing to be totally obedient in all we’re asked to do. We may not always know God’s will but, once He makes His will clear to us, we must move forward accordingly.
As you come before the Lord today, I encourage you to examine your heart. Ask God to show you if there is anything you are not fully obeying Him in and be willing to surrender that area of your life. It will be hard at first but the fellowship you will share with Him afterward will be so worth it!
Good thoughts! I appreciate this article very much.