When Obedience to God Doesn't Make Sense
- meetgodattheedgeof
- Aug 13
- 3 min read
1 Samuel 15:22-23
[22] But Samuel replied, “What is more pleasing to the Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams. [23] Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft, and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols. So because you have rejected the command of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.”
The more I grow in the Lord, the more I start to see that His ways are nothing like my ways. This is a good thing because, even on my best days, I still don't know what will happen from one second to the next. Our relationship with the Lord and walking daily with the Holy Spirit as our guide is the only way we can recognize the purpose in the mundane.
It's funny to me that even when we trust the Lord in a trial, we still have an attachment to or an idea of a specific outcome. I guess you could say that it's not complete surrender.
True surrender is accepting that in this moment, if you obey His leading, you are in His will regardless of whether you understand, agree, or if it makes sense. Obedience to God means trusting that He sees what we can't.
In the verse above, Samuel is delivering God's smackdown to Saul. Reading this now, we see how Saul made a big mistake: he thought he knew better and that bringing the Lord gifts was better than obeying. The underlying issue here is pride and a lack of faith.
I can say from experience that sometimes what the Lord is calling us to do does not make any sense; in fact, it can be downright crazy to us. This is where your faith and obedience really count, where the rubber meets the road.
Hardships and trials are a major part of a relationship with our Heavenly Father. From my understanding, they are one of the most important aspects and can produce the best results in our pursuit of growth.
Believe it or not, the Lord does not need your ideas on how things should be or how they could be solved. His plan is always perfect and covers all bases; your job is to accept and trust in His plan regardless of whether you understand it or not.
I know it's not easy to turn that off, but as Jesus showed us, this is not meant to be easy. It's meant to be meaningful, rewarding, and used to encourage others and introduce our Father to the lost.
When you pray for the Lord to lead you out of this hardship, be ready to accept and obey His way. Don't let your own understanding shape your obedience to God.
Thank you, Father, for one more day. Amen
James 1:12-14
[12] God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. [13] And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else. [14] Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away.
