I want my life to be a daily sacrifice of worship to God, not a shallow pursuit for temporary acclaim here on earth.
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Scripture
1 Samuel 15:24,30
“Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned. I violated the Lord’s command and your instructions. I was afraid of the men and so I gave in to them.””
“Saul replied, “I have sinned. But please honor me before the elders of my people and before Israel; come back with me, so that I may worship the Lord your God.””
Observation
Everything Saul is doing here seems to be motivated by his desire for the affirmation and admiration of the people around him–not the approval and blessing of God almighty. Even his worship of God seems to be motivated by his desire to personally be honored in the sight of the people. What a sad tale! Instead of pursuing the approval of God and risking the disapproval of the people, he pursued the approval of mankind–and ultimately lost his standing with the nation and with God.
Application
Life is full of risky choices. If I take option “A”, then I put thing “X” at risk. If I take option “B”, then I put thing “Y” in jeopardy.
The approval of people is never a sure thing, or a healthy measure. The approval of God is sure and trustworthy, thanks to the blood of Christ, and the strength of His spirit living in me. If I’m going to risk losing something, I would rather lose the approval of people rather than ever risk losing the favor of God. I want my life to be a daily sacrifice of worship to God, not a shallow pursuit for temporary acclaim here on earth.
Prayer
God, your approval is what I desire. May you be glorified in me as I follow you.
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