Partial Obedience

Scripture: "But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs and all that was good, and were not willing to destroy them utterly; but everything despised and worthless; that they utterly destroyed." 1 Samuel 15:9

Observation: It was easy for Saul and the people to follow God's command when it cost them something they did not value. When it came down to getting rid of something of great value to them; they balked. They coveted some things that they were supposed to despise.

Application: There are some sins that are of no value to me. They offer no attraction whatsoever. I am exposed to them. The opportunity is there and I could partake of them at any point and time. But they simply do not attract me, so I resist them with ease. I have utterly destroyed them from my life.

But then there are other sins. Sins that I look upon and covet with my heart. Just as Saul and the people of Israel have done here, it is easy for me to follow God and refuse things in my life that are not supposed to be there when those things are of no value to me; but I tend to hold onto the sins to which I have assigned a value. Guilty pleasures I have heard them called. Little things which in the grand scheme of my life just seem so insignificant. After all, I have completed much of what God has asked of me; what's the problem with keeping a little held back? That's why we have grace. Right?

This is sound logic but foolishness all the same. Partial obedience is full disobedience. In later verses, this line of thinking is exposed for what it truly is, a subtle play on my emotions from my enemy designed to take me down. The fruit of this sin reduced Saul from a powerful king, all the way down to a tormented man who was unable to rest. I have seen myself take the same journey. As God delivered me out of a lifestyle that was not His choice for me, I held onto some aspects of it. I did not utterly destroy everything, only the parts I despised. Over time, these things have proven themselves capable of taking me right back to the lowly place from which I have been redeemed.

Prayer: I see much of myself in Saul. I am stubborn. I am determined. I am insecure. I fear the reaction of others. I covet things that I should not covet. I seek You the hardest when I have really messed things up the most. All these things are in my life and I tolerate them. Some because I value them, others because I do not know how to get rid of them. I confess to You this morning that I am in need of a clean heart. I am so very grateful that, unlike Saul, my sins have been paid for. Jesus took care of them and so there is grace to cover me. But I don’t want to abuse that. I do not want to allow the lack of immediate consequences to fool me into thinking that You approve or that I got away with something. I desire instead to use this time of grace to get things straight and move past the things that hold me down. Guide me in my decision making today. Shield my eyes. Protect my ears. Put a guard on my tongue. Keep me from sins today that will tempt me to follow my own lusts and logic. Do not allow me to settle for anything less than a ruthless pursuit of all that You desire for my life.