A “through the bible” devotion from 1 Samuel 15.
On a recent early-morning walk through the neighborhood, I thought I heard a rooster. This isn’t farm country. This is suburbia. But I heard it again. I didn’t think we were allowed to have chickens in our yards. The rooster’s crow not only announces the sunrise (I’ll bet the neighbors love that), but also someone who ignores the city’s rules.
Saul’s task is to destroy Amalek and everything he has. God’s command is clear. Bring nothing home. Sounds simple.
After the campaign, Saul is feeling good about his efforts. “Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, ‘Blessed are you of the Lord! I have carried out the command of the Lord.’ But Samuel said, ‘What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the bellowing of the oxen which I hear?'” (1 Samuel 15:13,14)
Barnyard sounds reveal Saul’s disobedience. He said he brought them home to sacrifice to the Lord. We can always find a way to justify disobedience, can’t we?
But that’s not what God wanted him to do, and “to obey is better than sacrifice” (15:22).
Waite for it... 