- 1 Samuel 15:15 - And Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites: for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.
- 1 Samuel 15:23 - For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.
God desires complete obedience not to burden us, but for our benefit.
One of the most common ways to deviate from God's will is partial obedience – doing much of what He asks, but deviating in other areas. King Saul fell into this trap. After God commanded the Israelites to utterly destroy the Amalekites and all their possessions, they spared the best of the sheep and oxen and King Agag. When Samuel arrived, Saul declared that he had done as commanded. But upon further questioning, he shifted the blame to the people (verse 15) – even though he was king and no major decision would have been made without his consent.
Saul then offered a seemingly reasonable explanation: the animals were spared to be sacrificed to the Lord. This sounded like a righteous act. But Samuel was not deceived. He understood that Saul's action was rebellion (verse 23).
We can do the same. Our reasons for partial obedience may seem perfectly logical to us. We might even convince ourselves that we are honoring God. But the Lord does not evaluate our obedience based on our intentions or justifications.
Partial obedience may seem like a reasonable compromise, but it prevents us from experiencing the fullness of walking in His will.
Reflection
Have you ever tried to justify a decision that was not fully aligned with God's will?