And Samuel said, “Has 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 listen than the fat of rams.” 1 Samuel 15:22
Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? Romans 6:16
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
So what do we obey? The whole of the law? Man has tried to do that since the law was given to Moses and the Israelites and failed miserably. The Pharisees were passionate to the law to the point of missing the Messiah, because they interpreted the law by their own understanding. In the old covenant the Spirit of God often was symbolized by the anointing of oil. We now in the new covenant have the Holy Spirit given by our acceptance of the Lordship of Jesus Christ in and over our lives. We ask to be baptized / immersed with the very Presence of the Holy Spirit. So… it is by the Spirit of God we understand and learn our duty to Christ when reading the scriptures and through prayer (two-way communication with the Holy Spirit). It is a relationship that requires an ability to recognize His Voice within us, for the Holy Spirit now inhabits our very being with His Presence which takes up residence within us.
So what has He asked you to do? What have been His personal instructions to you? How often do you ask for His instructions? Do you seek Him to know that which He wants you to do? Or are you just living out your own agendas? Are you just interpreting and assuming what you think you should do? Or is He actually giving you direction? Be honest with yourself … and Him. Is most of what you are doing in your ‘Christian’ life religious? Attendance to a religious ‘service’? Ritualistic prayer before a meal? Keeping a Bible on a shelf? Or do you honestly seek Him in the quiet of the morning where and when no one sees you? Do you humbly ask Him to speak to you what He wants you to do? Do you listen? Do you wait for Him to speak?
And the Lord came and stood, calling as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant hears.” 1 Samuel 3:10
Have you learned to discern His Voice amongst the noise of the day? Have you learned to hear Him over the busyness of your mind? Can you discern Him in the … moment when you need Him? Can you discern His instruction through the scriptures? Does He highlight and interpret the scriptures to you as you read them? Do you spend time in your ‘secret place’ in worship to Him? Do you spend time thanking Him for all He has done and given you? When He gives a task… do you quickly move to do it? Do you experience and recognize His gifts moving in you when He gives you a task or ‘word’ to be spoken?
And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. Acts 3:5-7
Can you hear the small tasks He gives you? Have you learned to walk in obedience to the whispers of the Holy Spirit within you?
This relationship with Him is more than a ‘Sunday’ / go to church … life.