Obey

“And Samuel said, “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.” ~ 1 Samuel 15:22

Obey is a word that has fallen out of favor in today’s world. To obey somehow draws up pictures of oppression, restriction, and confinement. Obey has come to be a negative in relationships and lifestyle. But the Bible draws a very different picture of obey.

To obey God is to express our love for God. (John 14:23) Obedience calls our hearts to surrender to the grace of God and the expression of God’s character in our lives. Obedience allows us to experience the freedom that comes with living by a concrete standard. Obedience trains us to live by truth. Obedience declares our trust in God. Obedience bows to the authority of God. Obedience opens the door to a relationship with God. To obey means that we listen to the voice of God and move in the will of God.

One of the most powerful pictures in 1 Samuel is the picture of what it means to obey. Samuel was a man who followed the voice of God and led God’s people to see His mercy and grace. David was a man who showed the people of Israel the strength, character, and heart of God. Both men walked in obedience and shared a rich, fulfilling relationship with God. As God calls us to obey, He invites us into the same kind of relationship. One of trust, truth, authority, mercy, and grace.