Bible Reading: 1 Samuel 15, 16; Luke 10:22-42.
Memory Verse: “And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.” 1 Samuel 15:24 (KJV)
Pleasing men has become the order of the day. People consider pleasing their bosses in offices, at politics and even in church instead of pleasing God. It is this act of pleasing men that led several people to miss their destiny. This was the case of Saul when God asked him to go to Amalek and destroy every living thing there. Instead of hearkening to God, he listened to the voice of his followers who asked him to keep the choice animals and things in the land for themselves and sacrifice to God. 1 Samuel 15:24 (KJV), “And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.”
This was the king listening to the voices of his followers which was contrary to God’s instructions so that he could remain relevant in his earthly kingdom. But Samuel told him in 1 Samuel 15:22 (KJV), “And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.” God is not like men that can be bribed. You cannot appease God with sacrifices or offerings and tithes after disobeying him. In fact pleasing men at the expense of God is like choosing to serve men instead of God . That’s why Apostle Paul said in Galatians 1:10 (KJV), “For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.”
Surely you cannot serve both God and men. You need to choose one and forgo the other! And whoever you work to please is your choice. It is therefore important that when you are about to take a decision, you examine yourself as to who are you planning to please at God’s expense. Is it your boss in the office or your children, your subordinates, your political sponsors or any other office? The judgment of God on this issue is quite clear. Let’s look at his instant judgment on King Saul in 1 Samuel 15:26 (KJV), “And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not return with thee: for thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord hath rejected thee from being king over Israel.”
What he valued so much that made him to please the followers instead of God is the kingship and it was taken away from him. God is a jealous father. He will not share his glory with anyone. He is ready to take from you whatever is diverting your attention from him. It is therefore important that we focus on the creator and not the creation!
Prayer Point: Father, help me to place you first in every area of my life in the mighty name of Jesus.
Bro. Biodun Oyapero