First Samuel 15:22 tells us that to obey is better than sacrifice. Obedience to God’s Word is the best way we show Him how much we love Him.

In Bible days obedience to do animal sacrifices was the avenue of how the people received forgiveness for their sins. Hebrews 9:22 states it this way, “and almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.” It was not the blood of the animals that had the power, it was the obedience of the people to follow the Law.

It began when God sacrificed animals in the Garden of Eden for the sin disobedience of Adam and Eve, but the blood of animals did not have the power to cleanse the sin nature from Adam and Eve.  The only sacrifice for the payment of sin was Jesus’ death on the Cross. His Blood was sin-free and thus had the power to cleanse us from the sin-nature that came through the sin of Adam and Eve. His Blood still is powerful today for the same.  We need only to repent – have a change of heart – to receive God’s forgiveness for our sins.

If a person is always needing to repent then just maybe that person has not really had a change in their heart toward what sin really is.  Walking in constant disobedience results in unrepented sin and unforgiveness while walking in obedience carries the result of repented sin and forgiveness. A changed heart does not desire to do wrong any longer, it desires to please the Lord God Almighty.

When we delight in the Lord and His precepts then our desires change to line up with the goodness of God and he then can give us the desires of our heart. (Psalm 37:4) God will not bless evil desires but He will bless holy desires.

One true way to curb sin and wrong desires of our heart is to monitor our thoughts.  Sin begins with a thought. If we control our thought-life then it’s easier to control our behavior and words.  Second Corinthians 10:5 instructs us to bring every thought into obedience of Christ.  In other words, it’s just not our attitude, behavior and words that are to bring glory to God, but also our thoughts.

Christ is the Word. When we read the Bible, we find out how we are to think. When we meditate on Philippians 4:8, we learn how to monitor our thoughts. We are to think on things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of good report. Everyone needs to learn to control their thoughts. Everyone! Proverbs 23:7 gives us insight on this process of our thoughts to everyday life: “for as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” Remember, if our thinking doesn’t agree with God’s Word then our thinking is wrong.

When we think like God, and delight in Him and His Word, then obedience is a delight also because we are living to please God. There is more joy in living in obedience to God than always needing to repent and ask Him for forgiveness! We show our love to God by obeying His Word.

Have a love-filled life of obedience to God.