Complete Annihilation

Peyton Johnston

July 31st, 2017

1 Samuel 15

When the prophet Samuel told king Saul that God had commanded him to wipe everything out within the corrupt Amalekite nation, he meant everything – even their seemingly innocent women, children, and possessions. It seemed so unnecessary and extreme, but, of course, God could see and understand things outside of the present that no man could.

But because of Saul’s lack of understanding and unwillingness to blindly obey the Lord, he didn’t follow through. Not entirely, anyway. Saul was fine with getting rid of the things that didn’t matter to him, but saw no issue in keeping the things he viewed as valuable. What Saul didn’t foresee was that because of some the Amalekites that he had allowed to live, a terrible, bitter group called the Agagites was birthed generations later who mercilessly slaughtered God’s people for years to come. Had Saul simply heeded God’s command, so much turmoil and evil would have been spared.

When God asks us to get rid of things, he means completely. He may not tell us why right away, but we have to remind ourselves that His knowledge far surpasses ours – that He is either trying to keep us from something harmful or lead us to something good. Holding on to the things that God has instructed us to be rid of will only ever bring sin that leads to heartache and destruction. Even the smallest things are just molecules of infection that will turn into full-blown fatal diseases. And the things that may initially seem valuable can turn into our biggest downfall down the road. Eventually, we will be able to see either the fruits from our obedience, or our weeds from our defiance.

If there is something in your life that God has instructed you to get rid of either through His Word or by convicting your heart, don’t wait. Annihilate it immediately and completely. Don’t give any chance for sin to creep into your life. No matter how harmless the thing may be, trust that the Lord is leading you to better things and follow Him anyway. We need to constantly search ourselves and ask God to help us see what we are valuing that goes against Him. We have to submit ourselves so that our actions grow spiritual fruit and not sinful weeds.

Pray: ​“Never let me fall into the same mindset as Saul, Lord. Give me a stronger sensitivity to Your voice and submission to Your Spirit so that I can clearly hear and obey You when you tell me to empty my life whatever harmful things I may be holding onto. I may never understand everything, but I will always trust You!”