Saul said he wanted God's blessing. He even told Samuel that he had obeyed the Lord, but he was all talk. Samuel answered in I Samuel 15:22- 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.
So, God would rather obedience than lip service. Do you want God's blessing? Are you giving lip service or actual service?
Ananias and Saphira were another example. They wanted God's blessing and the admiration of other Christians, but not for their real works. They wanted to pretend- lip service, rather than actual service.
II Chronicles 16:9- For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.
You can't pretend with God! He sees your heart. He knows your desires. And the scary part is that he will grant you those desires and then laugh when you face the consequences. Ezekiel 14:4- Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Every man of the house of Israel
that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the LORD will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols;
Proverbs 1:25-26- But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;
Do you really want God's blessing? Are you all talk? Because God's blessing does cost. You have to give up some things. David understood this and said in II Samuel 24:24- And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings untothe LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.
What is the cost? Well, it is the same for every man and yet different for every man. Every man must surrender their will to God and accept his will as their own. But each man's will differs.
Some men want possessions- like Achan in Joshua 7.
Some men want a profession- like Balaam in Deuteronomy 22.
And some men choose a person- like Adam in Genesis 3.
Each of these stories ends in tragedy; not only for these men, but for those around them. Why? Because each man decided that his own desires were more important than following God's will.
Do you still want the blessing? Have you considered the cost? I will tell you that it will hurt now, but the blessings are worth it!
If you still want them you must surrender to God's will. Read your Bible daily. Pray for more than just your dinner. Take time to witness. Go to church regularly. Include the ones you love. Shouldn't they get God's blessing, too?
And lastly, you need to weed out hinderances. They may not be sins, or even bad, but they keep you from running the race. How can you get God's blessing if you aren't striving for it?
Paul said in I Corinthians 9:24- Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So, run that ye may obtain.
Are you running? Are you serving? Do you want the blessing? Or are you all talk?
You can't pretend with God! He sees your heart. He knows your desires. And the scary part is that he will grant you those desires and then laugh when you face the consequences. Ezekiel 14:4- Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Every man of the house of Israel
that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the LORD will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols;
Proverbs 1:25-26- But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;
Do you really want God's blessing? Are you all talk? Because God's blessing does cost. You have to give up some things. David understood this and said in II Samuel 24:24- And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings untothe LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.
What is the cost? Well, it is the same for every man and yet different for every man. Every man must surrender their will to God and accept his will as their own. But each man's will differs.
Some men want possessions- like Achan in Joshua 7.
Some men want a profession- like Balaam in Deuteronomy 22.
And some men choose a person- like Adam in Genesis 3.
Each of these stories ends in tragedy; not only for these men, but for those around them. Why? Because each man decided that his own desires were more important than following God's will.
Do you still want the blessing? Have you considered the cost? I will tell you that it will hurt now, but the blessings are worth it!
If you still want them you must surrender to God's will. Read your Bible daily. Pray for more than just your dinner. Take time to witness. Go to church regularly. Include the ones you love. Shouldn't they get God's blessing, too?
And lastly, you need to weed out hinderances. They may not be sins, or even bad, but they keep you from running the race. How can you get God's blessing if you aren't striving for it?
Paul said in I Corinthians 9:24- Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So, run that ye may obtain.
Are you running? Are you serving? Do you want the blessing? Or are you all talk?
