Avoid Putting Your Own Spin on God’s Will

This is our B moment. Our moment to be still…to be fed by the Word of God…to be grateful.

Scripture reference: Hebrews 10:36 (ESV)

Today, I am thinking about how sometimes we can put our own spin on fulfilling God’s will.

In this series, we are talking about embracing God’s will and about how sometimes we can miss the mark. King Saul’s life is a perfect example of this.

One day, Saul was given specific instructions from God to go and destroy the Amalekites. The Amalekites were being killed because of their opposition to the Israelites when they came from Egypt.

Saul was instructed to kill the entire nation, including the cattle, sheep, and donkeys—everything. Yet when Saul mobilized his army of 200,000, he slaughtered the Amalekites but spared the king and kept all the cattle, despite God’s clear instructions.

When Samuel, the prophet, questioned Saul about it, he said that he had obeyed the Lord. In fact, he said that he intended to sacrifice the cattle before the Lord.

However, God didn’t ask Saul to sacrifice; He asked him to obey. Partial obedience is not obedience. Saul fulfilled part of God’s will and put his own spin on the rest.

How often do we do this? We fulfill part of what God is asking us to do and then we try to overcompensate in another area. If that might be you today, let these words inspire you: “…so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.” Hebrews 10:36 (ESV)

Please share this reflection as others desire to be inspired.

So today, avoid putting your own spin on God’s will and just embrace it.