VESSELS UNTO DISHONOUR
MEMORISE: The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. Psalm 51:17
READ: 1 Samuel 15:1-15
1 Samuel also said unto Saul, The LORD sent me to anoint thee to be king over his people, over Israel: now therefore hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the LORD.
2 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt.
3 Now 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.
4 And Saul gathered the people together, and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah.
5 And Saul came to a city of Amalek, and laid wait in the valley.
6 And Saul said unto the Kenites, Go, depart, get you down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them: for ye shewed kindness to all the children of Israel, when they came up out of Egypt. So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.
7 And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until thou comest to Shur, that is over against Egypt.
8 And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.
9 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 everything that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.
10 Then came the word of the LORD unto Samuel, saying,
11 It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the LORD all night.
12 And when Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning, it was told Samuel, saying, Saul came to Carmel, and, behold, he set him up a place, and is gone about, and passed on, and gone down to Gilgal.
13 And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the LORD: I have performed the commandment of the LORD.
14 And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?
15 And Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites: for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.
MESSAGE
Amongst the people you find in church, some are unto honor while others are unto dishonor, as we see in 2 Timothy 2:20:
But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honor, and some to dishonor.
God, however, is not the One who makes some vessels unto honor and others unto dishonor. Rather, people, based on their behavior toward God and His instructions, choose for themselves if they will be unto honor or unto dishonor.
There are many people who say that since God is merciful, and His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22- 23), they can commit sin multiple times and ask Him for mercy multiple times. Therefore, they commit sin purposely, trusting that when they ask for mercy, God will have mercy. Some even say things like, “God, forgive me for what I am about to say.” They know it is a sin, but they ask for forgiveness and go ahead to say it. People like this are trying to make a fool out of the Most High God and will become vessels unto dishonor if they do not repent.
The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). Even if a Christian gives a big sacrifice or worships God deeply, if his or her heart is still in a sinful state, the wages of sin remain death.
In today’s Bible reading, God told Saul to kill all the Amalekites, but he decided to play on God’s intelligence by saying that it was the people who brought the king of Amalek and the choice animals back with them to Israel. We see the result of the disobedience in 1 Samuel 15:28:
And Samuel said unto him, The LORD hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbor of thine, that is better than thou.
Saul begged Samuel to let him worship God, but it was not out of true repentance. He only did that because he did not want to be embarrassed in the presence of his followers. In the next chapter, you will see that as much as Samuel pleaded on his behalf, God still asked him to anoint a new king as his replacement. God later sent an evil spirit to torment Saul, as he had become a vessel unto dishonor.
Beloved, be careful. Don’t toy with sin, and don’t try to play on God’s intelligence so that you don’t end up like Saul.
REFLECTION
Do you still indulge in the things that God has been warning you about? Beware, so that you don’t become a vessel unto dishonour.
PRAYER POINTS
1. Father, thank You for giving me the grace to purge myself from worldly filth.
2. Father, I ask for the grace to continually surrender myself to Your training and discipline in Jesus Name
3. Father, I ask for the grace never to pamper or spare that which You want me to totally cut off in my character/life in Jesus Name.
4. Father, since the voice of the people is not usually the voice of God, help me to always heed Your instructions in Jesus Name
5. Father, help me to always seek Your approval/honour and never to seek that of men in Jesus Name.
6. Father, help me never to put my hands into what will make You ever regret saving or anointing me in Jesus Name
7. In the Mighty Name of Jesus Christ, I shall not lose my crown, calling or assignment to someone else.
Thank You Lord Jesus
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Hosea 5-9
By Pastor E A Adeboye
SALIENT POINTS:
Obeying God’s Instructions.
Surrendering to God’s Discipline.
Seeking God’s Approval.
ADDITIONAL BIBLE VERSES:
Obedience and Disobedience:
1. John 14:15 (If you love Me, keep My commandments)
2. 1 Samuel 15:22 (Obedience is better than sacrifice)
3. Romans 6:16 (Slaves to obedience or sin)
Consequences of Disobedience:
1. Galatians 6:7-8 (Reaping what you sow)
2. Hebrews 10:26-31 (Consequences of willful sin)
3. Proverbs 13:15 (Way of transgressors is hard)
Seeking God’s Approval:
1. Matthew 6:33 (Seek first the kingdom of God)
2. John 5:44 (Seeking honor from God)
3. 2 Corinthians 10:18 (Approved by God)
Surrendering to God’s Discipline:
1. Hebrews 12:5-11 (God disciplines those He loves)
2. Psalm 119:71-72 (Discipline leads to good)
3. Proverbs 3:11-12 (God’s discipline)
Vessels of Honor or Dishonor:
1. 2 Timothy 2:20-21 (Vessels of honor or dishonor)
2. Romans 9:21-23 (Vessels of mercy or wrath)
3. 1 Thessalonians 4:3-7 (Sanctified and honorable)
Additional verses to explore:
– 1 Samuel 15:28 (Consequences of Saul’s disobedience)
– Psalm 51:17 (Broken and contrite heart)
– Lamentations 3:22-23 (God’s mercies are new every morning)
– Romans 6:23 (Wages of sin is death)
May this devotion bless you and inspire you to seek God’s approval and obey His instructions at all time! Amen!
Thank You Jesus,
Salvation Prayers
If you don’t Know Jesus as your personal Lord and Saviour and would like to accept him into your life as your personal Lord and Saviour, Please say this prayer:
Father, I know that I have broken your laws and my sins have separated me from You. I am truly sorry, and now I want to turn away from my past sinful life toward You. Please forgive me, and help me avoid sinning again. I believe that Your son, Jesus Christ died for my sins, was resurrected from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer. I invite Jesus to become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Please send Your Holy Spirit to help me obey You, and to do Your Will for the rest of my life. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
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