Obedience greater than sacrifice

1 Samuel 15:22 And Samuel said, Hath the LORD [as great] delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey [is] better than sacrifice, [and] to hearken than the fat of rams.

The Bible says to obey is greater than to sacrifice. This scriptures was said by prophet Samuel to king Saul who did not fully destroy the Amalekites and their property but partially obeyed, leaving the king alive and allowing the people to spare sheep and oxen to sacrifice them to the Lord which was not what God told them. To Saul, it seemed quite illogical to leave behind the best of sheep which could make a good sacrifice unto God.

And that is what it is in the real sense. Sacrificing an animal that actually costs money seems logical and easier than subjecting your entire body in obedience by doing what God says. Money can be replaced, but God desires more than money, your whole self, which includes the body, heart, and soul. For that reason Jesus didn't buy us with gold or silver, or with the blood of an animal but himself. He fully obeyed and, above all, gave himself away on our behalf. 

It's easier to sacrifice your money for others to go and preach than for you to obey the command, which says go our and preach the gospel. It's easier to give up on a one off all night prayer meeting, which may be organised collectively as a church than to obey a command to pray at all times. Obedience sometimes is on a daily basis. Sacrifice is most times a one-off. That's what makes it hard to obey. 

Have you wondered why Jesus hasn't revealed when He is to return? It could be because he requires us to live in obedience rather than sacrificing a few years to his coming to live for Him, yet in the other years, we lived for ourselves or for the devil. It's also the reason why we don't know when a man is to die. They might actually fake themselves into salvation a few years before their death if they knew their last hour than to obey all their life without knowing when they would be called home. It's like when you are expecting a very important visitor, everyone gives their best to put on a good impression, but I assure you that cannot be done by some on a daily when the visitor is away.

Everyone can sacrifice when it's a one-off, but not all can obey a command on a daily basis.