This obedience over sacrifice devotional reflects on 1 Samuel 15:22 and invites us to consider how we are entering the new year with God—not just with plans and promises, but with hearts willing to listen and obey.

This past Saturday, I found myself sitting quietly with the words of Scripture:

“But Samuel replied, ‘What is more pleasing to the Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.’” — 1 Samuel 15:22

As a new year approaches, many of us begin preparing with goals, intentions, and resolutions for what lies ahead. Often, those intentions include cutting out habits, setting boundaries, or making commitments shaped by what we learned—or endured—the year before.

I’ve felt that pull deeply.

When Good Intentions Quietly Replace Obedience

I noticed in myself a strong desire to make bold promises about what I will or won’t do in the coming year. Yet, as I prayed and journaled through this passage, a gentle question surfaced in my heart:

“Obedience is better than sacrifice, Krystal. What instructions are you trying to overlook in your eagerness to make big sacrifices?”

That question lingered longer than I expected.

The Biblical Context Behind Obedience Over Sacrifice

The verse in 1 Samuel 15:22 comes from the sobering story of King Saul. Saul was given a clear command from God, delivered through the prophet Samuel, to completely eliminate the Amalekites—a people who had long threatened Israel and stood in the way of their ability to flourish in the Promised Land.

This instruction wasn’t rooted in cruelty or impulse. It was protective. God understood that leaving remnants behind would eventually harm His people.

Saul did go to battle. He fought. But he stopped short of full obedience.

He spared King Agag and kept the best livestock. What appeared spiritual on the surface—saving animals for sacrifice—was actually partial obedience. And partial obedience is still disobedience.

God understood the temptation Israel would face if the spoils remained. Saul, however, was focused on what he could gain rather than what God had clearly asked.

How Partial Obedience Shows Up Today

This obedience over sacrifice devotional isn’t just about Saul—it’s about us.

It’s easy to substitute obedience with activity. We can pray, fast, serve, and sacrifice while still avoiding the one instruction God has been patiently repeating. Sometimes, our spiritual disciplines become a way to quiet conviction rather than respond to it.

As we prepare to enter 2026, I feel led to invite you into a moment of honest reflection.

Questions to Pray Through as the New Year Approaches

As I write this, I’m asking myself questions I believe are worth carrying into the new year:

1. What is the last instruction God gave me, and how do my current plans align with—or conflict with—it?
2. What spiritual practices am I engaging in, and what is my true motivation behind them?
3. What am I clinging to that God may be inviting me to release for His purposes?

These questions aren’t meant to bring guilt—but clarity.

My prayer is that we wouldn’t enter this next season offering God only polished plans or impressive sacrifices. Instead, may we move forward with hearts that are attentive, surrendered, and responsive to His voice.

Because obedience—especially when it’s quiet, costly, and unseen—is still what delights Him most.

Today’s devotion inspired by // 1 Samuel 15:22 NLT

Reflect & Journal // What is the last instruction God gave me, and how do my current plans align with—or conflict with—it? What spiritual practices am I engaging in, and what is my true motivation behind them? What am I clinging to that God may be inviting me to release for His purposes?