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Obedience in the Big Things
By Bill Money

"to obey is better than sacrifice" 1 Samuel 15:22

For the scenarios discussed in this devotional, we are assuming that God has made His commands clear.

We are assuming that when God spoke, you knew it was God and you knew what He said, just as described in the Scriptures. The issue is not hearing. The issue is obedience.

Suppose you own a medium to large size home. Suppose it requires both you and your wife working to be able to afford it. Suppose God told you to sell the home and downsize because He wants your wife to be home with the children. Would you do so? Would you be obedient to God's command?

Suppose your children are grown, and God wanted you to downsize to have more time and resources for ministry. Would you do so?

Suppose your children are grown and God wanted you to downsize so you could work fewer hours and have more time for ministry. Would you do so? Would you obey?

Suppose you own a medium to small home, and God wants you to buy a significantly larger home to use for His ministry purposes, and provides the money so you can do so without debt. Would you do so? Would you accept something special from His hand, even though others may think you're being selfish or self-indulgent?

Sometimes our Christian culture focuses on sacrifice, and much less so on obedience. We still want to be in control, even controlling how we will serve God.

Sometimes, we have our own preconceptions as to what God might ask of us, and miss God's plan. But we are taught that "God's ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts" (Isaiah 55:8).

He may very well ask us to do something that is outside what we are expecting. Obedience means embracing the plan God has for us, even when it does not fit our preconceptions, our expectations, or our culture. Obedience is far more important than sacrifice.