So 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 heed than the fat of rams. 1 Samuel 15:22
In the Bible we find the story of Jonah in the book that shares his name, and we find the story of Ananias in Acts Chapter 9. Both of these men of God were given a similar mission by God. Both men were reluctant to go on the mission; they did not want to go. However, the men made a different choice when concerning God’s command and thus received different outcomes.
Jonah fled from God’s mission and found himself in the belly of a fish, which he compared to the pits of hell. He spent three days in the fish, repented of his fleeing, was vomited up, and then he went and did what God had sent him to do. Jonah after preaching to the Ninevites, watched them repent, and then went onto the mountain and waited for God to destroy them. He became angry when God spared them; he traded his joy in the situation for anger and misunderstanding.
Ananias on the other hand trusted God and went and did what he was told to do; he did not suffer God’s punishment and corporal persuasion. Ananias worshiped and praised God for the repentance of Saul; accepting Saul as a brother in Christ. He received peace and joy from being used by God even though he was originally afraid and hesitant to go.
When God sends us to accomplish a task we have two options: We can choose to be obedient to God like Ananias and celebrate the workings of God in the lives of man. Or we can be like Jonah and run from God, suffer pain and anguish, end up doing what God sent us to do in the first place, and missing out on joy and peace.
