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Thursday  17  January

Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.   
1 Samuel 15, 22.

People often ask why God does not recognize well-intentioned efforts to get to heaven. Maybe an illustrative story  will help to give an answer.

“Mummy”, a small  boy once asked, when he wanted to give his mother a book as a present, “wouldn’t you like to have this book?” It was a nice-looking book that Dick had bought  out of the pocket-money he had saved for weeks so as to be able to bring his mother some joy on her birthday. But she refused it!  Why? After all, she had accepted a needlework box from Dick’s sister.

During the previous week Dick had been disobedient, moody and even shown his temper. Until now he had not asked his mother’s forgiveness. That was her reason for saying, “No thank-you,  my boy,” as she put the book on one side. He turned away angrily, murmuring, “All right: it’s all the same to me!” But his look showed that he was jealous of his sister. After some time he came back to his mother and admitted the wrong he had done here. She immediately forgave him and said, “Right! Now you  can give me your present”.

Even today people prefer trying to find their own way to heaven instead of following the way prescribed by God.  Is it  any wonder that God cannot approve of their works? The Bible describes His way in the following words: “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and contrite heart, o God,  thou wilt not despise” (Psalm 51, 17).