Havin' a Heart for God

1 Samuel 15:22-23 (NLT)

I just read this and it totally spoke right to my heart. I thought I would share it and expand on what I think God is trying to tell each and every one of us about our God first lives.

"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.

In this verse I found the four most important things that are pleasing to the Lord -
First He asks us to Listen! This means listen to your heart! What is God trying to reveal to you through the very feelings in your heart? Often I find myself thinking rationally and logically when God is so much simpler - he just tells us to mearly listen and He'll tell us everything we need to know. Next is obedience, once we listen, we must obey what He is saying. I know that more often than not I hear what God is saying and yet I don't obey. Sacrifice is also of importance, whatever God is calling us t,o is going to require some sort of sacrifice. When things seem too tough just remember that Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice. Last night my roommate, Heather, made it so clear to me that we must lay things down every morning. Imagine your life if you laid something down for Jesus every single morning? I can't imagine how pleasing that would be to God! Finally is submission, since accepting Jesus in my heart I have had to submit my life to Him. It has been more and more than I could have ever imagined and the blessings have been so abudant. I believe that God reveals the results and consequences of our actions without having a heart to please Him in the next verse (23)

"Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft,
and stubborness as bad as worshiping idols.
So because you have rejected the command of the Lord,
he has rejected you as king."

Rebellion is the opposite of obeying God! It is pleasing to God when we obey. I think about the students that I work with at school, ultimately they recieve the best education when they obey their teachers and tutors (thats me!). When they rebel they lose the ultimate education. God wants to give us the ultimate life, so why rebel? Stubborness is so easy when we don't want to submit our lives. Stubborn people are so stuck in their ways and think that they have figured out a better way. I can be the first to tell you that my way has never been the right way. God knows the way and why not let God take control and just show us the way...doesn't that sounds so much easier? The final and most important part of this whole verse is the final phrase, "he has rejected you as king." God has made us stewards of His kingdom...guess what that means - YOU ARE A KING. If we fail to please God by listening, obeying, sacrificing, and submitting to Him we are going to be rejected by God! I think this speaks for itself!

God loves you and I, He wants the best for our lives and has laid out how simple it is to please him. 4 easy simple steps, take the challenge and please him :)

Much love.