The Will Of My Father

"Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 7:21)

How many times have you heard, “I think…” or “I feel…” when someone was explaining what the Bible says or means? The most dangerous little word that could ever cross our lips is “I”.

Our thoughts and feelings take a backseat to God’s will, and God’s will is clearly expressed in His word. God says what He means and means what He says. His word will accomplish what it sets out to do and will never return to Him void.

We can’t improve upon God’s word.

God told Saul, the first king of Israel, to “go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass”. (1 Samuel 15:3)

But Saul thought he could improve upon what God told him to do. He spared the king of Amalek and kept the best of everything.

“But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.” (1 Samuel 15:9)

When Saul returned, he told Samuel the prophet of Israel, “I have performed the commandment of the Lord.” (1 Samuel 15:13).

But Saul hadn’t. Saul did what Saul thought best, not what God told him to do. And why did he do this? Saul said he brought the best of everything back so they could, “sacrifice unto the Lord thy God”. (1 Samuel 15:15)

Saul try to justify his actions by saying he did it for God. But he really didn’t do it for our Lord. Saul went against what God told him to do and kept the best of everything for the people, so he could stay in the good graces of the people.

Samuel responded to Saul, “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. 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.” (1 Samuel 15:22-23)

To obey God is better than anything else we can do. We don’t think for God. We can’t improve upon anything God does or says. God is perfect, we are not. Not to obey God strictly and completely is rebellion against God.

“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. Now therefore, I pray thee, pardon my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship the Lord.” (1 Samuel 15:24-25).

It was too late. Saul reject God, so God rejected Saul, the King of Israel.

“And Samuel said unto him, The Lord hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine, that is better than thou. And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should repent.” (1 Samuel 15:28-29)

The Strength of Israel. That phrase is only ever used here. “Strength” means endurance in time, perpetual, continual. The word “Israel” means God prevails. God and His word will always prevail, from everlasting to everlasting.

Whether we like it or not, understand it or not, or agree with it or not, we must always follow God and His word. Anything else is rejection and rebellion of God and His word, and will result in similar actions by God as was with Saul.

Bill Hitchcock