Ruthless obedience

I was reading today in 1 Samuel about King Saul.

I long for 100% obedience.

To sum up the chapter, Samuel got a Word from the Lord for the newly appointed King Saul. He tells the King specifically where to go and what will happen when he gets there. He tells Saul about the people he will meet along the way and specifically:

10:8 'You must wait for seven days until I (Samuel) arrive and give you (Saul) further instructions'.

So the story goes on and all things happen just as the Lord had said. Day 7 rolls around and no Samuel. King Saul and his men are starting to freak out (I forgot to mention there were about 3,000 chariots, 6,000 charioteers and the Word says,"and as many warriors as the grains of sand on the seashore!" waiting to kill Saul and his men. So King Saul takes matters into his own hands and commands his people to take up a burnt offering...bad choice.

13:10 "Just as Saul was finishing with the burnt offering, Samuel arrived. Saul went out to meet and welcome him, but Samuel said, "What is this you have done?"

So Saul does his 'but..but..but.' and tries to make excuses for what he did.

13:13"How foolish!' Samuel exclaimed. 'You have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you. Had you kept it, the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. 14 But now your kingdom must end, for the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart. The LORD has already appointed him to be the leader of his people, because you have not kept the LORD's command."

Moral of the story:

 Be ruthlessly obedient when the LORD tells you to do something, especially when you feel like you are about to be defeated. The Lord is faithful, and as I am learning, HE likes to wait to the last minute to see if we really trust what HE has told us. It is scary and painful and you will feel alone BUT I believe that kingdoms await those who obey. I long for 100% obedience.

“If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully keep all his commands that I am giving you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the world."-Deuteronomy 28:1

What has the LORD told you to do?