As I have read the Old Testament, I have been impressed with the teaching that blessings come as we follow the Lord by obeying His prophets. One of the most striking examples of this principle is found in 1 Samuel, where the prophet Samuel declares to King Saul: “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”
SACRIFICE, FAITH AND OBEDIENCE
A sacrifice is giving up something valued for the sake of our faith. Obedience is our dutiful or submissive compliance; this means surrendering our will to God. Though God accepts both, He is more interested in our obedience than in our sacrifices.