聽命勝於獻祭—-撒母耳記15:22［撒母耳說：”耶和華喜悅燔祭和平安祭, 豈如喜悅人聽從他的話呢？聽命勝於獻祭, 順從勝於公羊的脂油.”] [䆁義］聽命勝於獻祭, 也就是順服勝於工作. 我們常常以為只要為神做事, 努力傳福音, 神就一定喜悅. 但實際上, 神並不需要人幫忙, 祂所重視的不是我們為祂做了什麼, 而是我們是否順服祂：動機本於神, 方法倚靠神, 結果歸於神. 我們的事奉若沒有順服的實際, 就是出於肉體, 再忙碌, 再熱心, 也沒有屬靈的價值和意義. 獻祭是人與神之間的禮儀, 以物質的行動, 表明雙方的關係. 如果人的內心沒有真正的悔改, 沒有真心愛心, 獻祭就是虛假的禮儀. 獻祭本是好事, 但若不聽神的命令, 不按神的旨意行, 獻祭也不會蒙神的悅納. ［禱告］親愛的天父上帝, 祢造天造地, 也造人類和萬物, 所有被造之物都應當稱頌祢的大能. 感謝神眷顧極其渺小的我們, 被祢托在手上是最大的福氣, 我們要歌颂讚美祢的大愛. 我們有時像掃羅一樣, 做錯事卻以為沒人知道, 其實祢無時無刻都在鑒察. 我們應當每日讀經禱告, 仰望祢的帶領！祈求所言所行能合祢旨意, 得祢喜悅. 主啊！懇求聖靈澆灌, 使我們有信心和力量, 常常儆醒自省, 願意順服祢的教誨. 獻上心靈與誠實為祭. 禱告求祢垂聽, 阿們！
To obey is better than sacrifice – 1 Samuel 15:22 [But Samuel replied: “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.] [Explanation] “To obey is better than sacrifice” means that submission is more important than mere actions. Often, we believe that as long as we work for God, sharing the gospel with diligence, He will surely be pleased. However, God doesn’t require human help; what matters to Him is our obedience—whether our motivations are from Him, our methods rely on Him, and we credit results to Him. Service without genuine obedience is done in the flesh, and no matter how busy or enthusiastic we are, it lacks spiritual value and meaning. Sacrifice is a ritual that signifies the relationship between humans and God through physical actions. However, if there is no true repentance or sincere love in one’s heart, then the act of sacrifice is merely an empty ritual. Although sacrifice is good, if one does not obey God’s command and act according to His will, the sacrifice will not be pleasing to God. [Prayer] Dear Heavenly Father, You created the heavens, the earth, humanity, and all creatures. All of creation should praise Your great power. Thank You for Your care for us, small as we are; being held by You is the greatest blessing, and we praise Your boundless love. Sometimes, we are like Saul, doing wrong and thinking no one notices, but You are always watching over us. May we read Your Word and pray daily, seeking Your guidance. We ask that what we say and do align with Your will and bring You delight. Lord, we humbly ask for the Holy Spirit to fill us with faith and strength, to be watchful and self-reflective, willing to submit to Your teachings. May we offer our hearts and sincerity as a sacrifice. We pray this in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen!