There's Glory In Obedience

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DAILY VITAMIN
- There's Glory In Obedience
"Samuel said, What have you done? Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines were assembled at Michmash, I thought, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication to the Lord. So I forced myself to offer a burnt offering. And Samuel said to Saul, You have done foolishly! You have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God which He commanded you; for the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever; But now your kingdom shall not continue; the Lord has sought out [David] a man after His own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be prince and ruler over His people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you." (1 Sam 13:11-14 AMP)
   It had just been one year since Saul became king with a promise that he would deliver Israel entirely from the oppressions of Philistia. Well, that didn't happen! And our theme scripture tells us why.
   A year ago, Saul had patiently waited for Samuel at Gilgal for seven days and could have even done one more for free, but now back to the present, he wouldn't. The Bible said he saw that he was losing his men and chose to act abruptly. "Saw"; hasn't that destroyed many folks already? In Moses' day, what the ten spies "saw" was the root of their destruction. You see, we all may look at things life has to display, but only us can choose what we see.
   In this case, Saul chose to see fear and ended up disobeying God. And that there was the end of his kingship in the eyes of God, for he had been replaced. He was so given to rebellion that God couldn't count on him anymore. And this man who would replace him was said to have a thick desire to obey God. His heart was completely given to God; and that character crowned him with glory. Notice what Paul wrote about Jesus: "And after He had appeared in human form, He abased and humbled Himself [still further] and carried His obedience to the extreme of death, even the death of the cross! Therefore [because He stooped so low] God has highly exalted Him and has freely bestowed on Him the name that is above every name" (Phil 2:8-9).
   There's glory in obedience. There's exultation and overwhelming beauty in it. The more we obey Him, the greater the manifestation of His person and power we experience (John 14:21); and that's why He demands obedience from us. Obedience is the greatest proof of love, of faith, and of worship. Jesus said if any man loves me, he will obey me (John 14:15), and to him who honours me, my Father will surely honour as well (John 12:26).
   So, who do you want to be? The honoured of the Father, or the lightly esteemed (1 Sam 2:30)? Choose now, but know that glory only lies on the path of he who obeys heartily (Isaiah 58:14, Psalm 1:1-3).

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