Happy Thursday, {{first_name | everyone}}!
Jesus is King.
The King has risen.
In the end, nothing else truly matters.
In today’s email…
👑 The King that rises and stays risen
📧 How is God opening doors for you?
🔦 Community spotlight
MEMORIZE 🧠
Has ___ ____ __ great _____ in _____ _________ ___ __________,
__ __ obeying ___ _____ __ ___ Lord?
Behold, __ ____ __ better ____ sacrifice,
and to ______ than ___ fat __ ____.
1 Samuel 15:22
(Use our free web app to help you memorize in your favorite translation. Instructions to set it up are at the bottom of this email.)
CONTEXT 📕
Let’s build the bridge to Jesus.
1 Samuel 15:22 wasn’t just a warning for Saul. It’s a window into what God has always wanted and what Jesus perfectly fulfilled.
“To obey is better than sacrifice.”
This verse is the turning point of Saul’s life. And it sets the stage for a new kind of king.
Saul offered a sacrifice to cover disobedience.
Jesus offered obedience as the sacrifice.
Saul said, “Look what I saved to give to God.”
Jesus said, “Not my will, but Yours be done.”
Saul spared the best for himself.
Jesus gave His best for us.
And the failure of Saul in 1 Samuel 15 sets off a chain reaction.
God rejects him and starts preparing someone different: “a man after His own heart.”
That man is the giant-slaying, Psalm-writing, sin-wrought, and repentant King David. But David is not the destination.
He’s a preview. A shadow.
Because even David’s obedience was flawed. Even David’s reign would be stained by sin.
So the story keeps moving forward.
And eventually, a greater King shows up.
One not only after God’s heart, but of God’s heart.
29 And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.”
19 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.
Where Saul failed, Jesus obeyed.
Fully and completely.
That’s why I don’t just read 1 Samuel 15:22 as a warning, but also as a signpost.
It points to the One who didn’t offer God livestock or leftovers.
It points to the One who offered His very life.
APPLY AND RESPOND 🏃♂
Deep down, I think we all want more from our faith than the easy version:
Go to church
Read your Bible
Be nice
Don’t mess up too badly
Now, these things matter. They’re foundational.
But let’s be honest: in many of our contexts, they don’t require full surrender.
They don’t demand our heart.
But 1 Samuel 15 — and really, the whole of Scripture — shows us that God is after much more than a few hours on Sunday:
He wants trust when the job falls through or your heart gets broken.
He wants surrender when it would be easier to take control and do it your way.
He wants a heart like Jesus’ when yours is screaming for attention, validation, or revenge.
So let’s start imagining:
What would it look like to obey God completely today?
Talk with a trusted friend about where you’ve been holding back full obedience and trust.
Imagine the ripples God can send out into the world through the obedience of this community of over 60,000 disciples of Jesus!
Hit reply to this email and tell us what God is stirring in your heart. Tell us what step of obedience He’s calling you to take.
COMMUNITY FEEDBACK ❤
I never quite understood this verse before and this explanation helped tremendously and made perfect sense! Thank you!
- D. R.
Love all Malachi Daily content! Thank you for helping us memorize the Word of God. Blessings to all! ❤️
- Paige
Your emails are helping me understand the Bible so much deeper. Thank you and keep up the great work!
- L.L.
SHOUT-OUTS 📣
HUGE thank you to Tom, Andrea, Mrs. P. and everyone else who chose to pay-it-forward to support our work and help us keep operating!
ANSWER KEY ✅
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
Blessings,
The Malachi Daily team 🙏
Today’s Contributors
Payton is a husband, father, and pastor in Vero Beach, FL. He leads a small church and helps Christians master storytelling through his newsletter, Christian Story Lab.
Kieran is a husband and father living in NJ. In addition to Malachi Daily, he writes a personal newsletter about the intersection of faith, fatherhood and entrepreneurship.
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