And Samuel said,

"Has 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 listen than the fat of rams." (1 Samuel 15:22)

Well, I don't have a fiery altar or ram fat, but I do have Bible reading and prayer. They don't sound nearly so exciting, but they're the little "sacrifices" of Christians, the spiritual disciplines around which our lives revolve.

My Christian Spiritual Disciplines:

• read the Bible every day (or close to it)
• pray for myself and others
• write in my flowery little journal from Rite Aid
• listen to sermons, Christian books and worship music
• go to church...every Sunday

Like King Saul, I find myself more consumed with completing a long list of spiritual duties than simply obeying God, doing the things He's commanded me to do. (I'm so thankful that God left us the Bible. Makes knowing God's will a lot easier.)

I'm a Christian, a believer and lover of Jesus. That means I'm a child of God. I'm His little girl, and He expects His children to obey Him, not out of fear but out of love. He loves me and knows what's absolutely best for me. When I obey Him, life just seems to "go better," even when it's falling apart.

So here's to obeying my Heavenly Daddy, trusting that what He says is best and always proves good for me and glorifying to Him.

P.S. Obeying God isn't out of fear, but it's a response to the love He has for us. Also, obedience doesn't gain Christians favor with God. We already have His favor by Jesus' death. Again, our obedience is saying, "You've loved me! I love you, and I trust you."