Why Do I Still Hear Sheep?



And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the LORD: I have performed the commandment of the LORD. 
And Samuel said, what meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear? 1Samuel 15:13-14

You don't have to look very far to see that people still want to do things their way. They don't want to be told how to live or how to conduct themselves.  For some, taking instruction has become optional, but this should not be so for God's people.     

In the scripture, God told Saul to kill all of the Amalekites. He was thorough and specific in his instructions, when he said "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".  Instead of doing exactly as God said, Saul decided to spare the king and the best of the sheep.  When Saul spoke to Samuel, he proudly proclaimed his victory.  Saul said he killed them all, but Samuel could hear sheep!

God is not like man.  He doesn't perform half-miracles or half-healings.  When the children of Israel crossed the Red Sea, it had not been half-dry for them.  God is a complete and full God, and He expects the same from us.  

God wants us to be completely free. We wonder why our lives aren't moving in the direction of our prayers.  Sometimes it is because God still hears sheep.  He can still see that we are holding on to things that he told us to kill.  Not just to let go, but kill.  Though Saul completed most of the task, he failed.  Partial obedience is still disobedience.  By keeping the king, Saul kept the head.  When you keep the head, you keep the power.  What you keep will have power over you.  



So many times, we focus on the rejection of man.  We fret when we aren't received and cry when we don't know why.  In this instance, God did the rejecting! Because of the spirit of disobedience, God repented that he made Saul king.  I don't know about you, but I don't want God to repent that He chose me. 

What sheep does God still hear in your life?  Is it your attitude or bad habits?  Could it be addiction or plain old stubborness?  Only you know what God has told you to kill. You may have done some of what God has commanded, but you must complete the task.  You cannot serve God with the bleating of sheep in the background.  He wants all of you. He wants your heart, mind, and soul to be sold out to Him.  He wants to fill your emptiness, but He still hears sheep.  Instead hearing your background noise, God wants to hear the depth of your relationship with Him.  There is a sound God is listening for.  It's the sound of praise and adoration ascending by way of your obedience. 

Don't risk God's rejection.  Kill the sheep, and let God know that you honor His instructions for your life!

Reaching the lost at any cost, 
Pastor Odie Kennedy

Photo by Dominic Morel




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