To Obey
“But Samuel replied: Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices so much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than to sacrifice and to heed is better than the fat of rams” - 1 Samuel 15:22 Gracious Lord Jesus, my friend and my King, Today my heart is again heavy by a rough exchange with a dear friend last night. I feel like I can’t win. I sit here contemplating all the “sacrifices’ I’ve made for this friend. In this moment, I feel the sacrifices should result in gratitude, kindness, and respect. As I’m struggling to process the hurt in this relationship, I’m reminded that if I’m disobedient to what you are asking me to do toward my friend, then all the sacrifices are meaningless. So, Lord, work me over. Reveal what still needs to change in ME. What needs to be softened? Where have I gone wrong? Where do I need to admit fault and repent? Have I lacked empathy? Have my actions warranted my friend's loss of respect? Truly, I need to ...