30 Days of Endurance for Women LeadersSample

Week 4 — Strength Renewed

Day 28: Obedience Over Outcome

Biblical Basis: 1 Samuel 15:22 (ESV)

“And 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 listen than the fat of rams.’”

There comes a point in the journey where you must decide: Will you measure your faithfulness by results, or by obedience? In 1 Samuel 15, Saul is confronted for doing what looked sacrificial but was, in truth, disobedient. He spared what God told him to destroy, thinking a good offering could justify partial obedience. But God is not impressed with outcomes disconnected from His instructions.

This moment reveals a critical truth: obedience is not about what you can produce for God. It’s about what you're willing to surrender to Him. For high-capacity leaders, this can feel especially uncomfortable. You’re wired to move, to build, to solve. But God is not asking you to build empires—He's calling you to build altars of obedience. Outcomes belong to Him. Your responsibility is faithfulness.

Obedience often won’t make sense in the moment. It may look like a step backward, a closed door, or a hidden assignment. But obedience births endurance, because it roots you in something unshakeable: the voice of God.

If you’re waiting for visible fruit to validate your calling, you’ll constantly be shaken. But if you settle the matter in your heart—that God’s voice matters more than results—you’ll walk in a confidence that can’t be stolen by delayed outcomes or external pressure.

Obedience is how you win spiritual battles. It’s how you guard your heart from pride or despair. It’s how you keep moving, not because of what you see, but because of who said “go.”

Please remember: Outcomes are seasonal. Obedience is eternal.

DEEP Reflection:

• D – Draw Near to God:
  Pray: “God, refine my motives. Help me value obedience to You more than results for me.”
• E – Examine the Text:
  Read 1 Samuel 15:1–23. What was Saul’s mistake, and how did Samuel respond to his justification?
• E – Engage Your Heart:
  Where have you prioritized results over obedience? Are there instructions from God you’ve delayed or altered?
• P – Practice the Principle:
  Write down one area where God is calling you to obey—without editing, negotiating, or explaining it away. Take a step this week, even if no one else sees it.

By the end of your day, identify one area where God has asked you to obey and take one practical step of obedience.

See you on day twenty-nine.