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Debbie and Randy were on their way to the park with their cousin Jean. Jean was twelve years old. She often took care of the children while Mother was busy.

"Oh, look at all the pretty flowers," Debbie cried as they entered the park.

"Yes, the flowers are pretty," said Jean. "But remember, the sign says that we are not to pick the flowers."

Jean took the children to the sand pile. "You can play here or on the swings," she said. "Don't wander away or get into the mud puddles."

Jean sat and watched the children for awhile. Then she opened her book and began to read.

Randy and Debbie played on the swings. Then they played in the sand. Soon Randy got tired of the sand and stood up.

"Where are you going?" Debbie asked.

"Over there to play in that puddle," Randy said.

Debbie's eyes opened wide. "You can't," she said. "Jean told us not to."

"I don't have to do what Jean says. She's not my mother," Randy said, marching off toward the puddle.

Debbie thought for a minute. "I don't have to obey Jean either," she told herself. Jumping up, she ran toward the flowers. She picked two red flowers. Then she picked a white one.

Just then Jean looked up from her book. "Randy! Debbie!" she called.

"Oh, Debbie," Jean said as she saw the flowers. "I told you not to pick them."

Debbie held the flowers behind her back. "I don't care," she said. "I'm going to give them to Mom."

Jean looked at Randy's muddy shoes. "And I told you not to go near the mud puddles, Randy," she scolded.

Randy frowned. "I don't care," he said. "I WANTED to play in the puddle. And I found a pretty rock for Mom." He wiped the muddy rock on his clean shirt.

Jean took Randy and Debbie home. "They wouldn't obey me today, Auntie," she said.

Debbie and Randy gave Mother the flowers and the rock. "We brought them for you, Mom," they said, smiling. Mother did not smile. She looked sad. She said goodbye to Jean and sent Randy to the bathroom to wash. Then she called the children to her.

"I'm going to tell you a story," she said. "It is about King Saul in the Bible.

"One day God told King Saul to go out and destroy some of God's enemies. God told Saul to destroy everything that belonged to them and not to bring anything home.

"But King Saul decided to bring home some of the best animals. He said in his heart, 'I will offer them as a gift to God and then it will be all right.'

"But God refused King Saul's gift. God said, 'To obey is better than sacrifice.' God meant that it was more important to obey Him than to bring gifts to Him. God taught King Saul that the best gift of all is obedience."

"Oh," said Randy. "I didn't obey Jean. Is that why you did not like my rock, Mom?"

Mother nodded. "You found the rock while you were disobeying, Randy. It made me sad instead of glad."

Tears came to Debbie's eyes. "I'm sorry I picked the flowers, Mom. Jean told me not to."

"But, Mom," Randy said. "Jean isn't our mother. I thought we only had to obey you and Dad."

"No, children," Mother answered. "There are many people we must obey. The Lord Jesus has told us in His Word that we are to obey those who rule over us. That means people who care for you, like Jean. It means the teachers in school. It means the policemen and those who rule in our town and our country. If we disobey them, we are disobeying God."

"Do you and Dad have to obey people too?" Debbie asked.

"Yes," Mother said. "All our lives there are people we must obey. That is why it is important to learn to obey when we are young. The Lord Jesus is pleased when children obey their parents because He knows it will help them to obey other people too. That is why He tells us in the Bible, 'Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord.'"

"Mom," said Randy. "Can we tell the Lord Jesus we are sorry?"

"Yes," Mother said. "You can tell Him right now."

Randy and Debbie prayed. They asked Jesus to forgive them.

Then they talked to Jean on the phone. They told her they were sorry they had disobeyed her.

Mother taught the children their verse. She helped them print it on some paper. Randy and Debbie put flowers and rocks around the border of their verse. They said it would help them to remember that when they obeyed their parents and other people, they were obeying the Lord Jesus too.

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We would like you to memorize this verse too. Add it to the collection you have been making.

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In the Old Testament we read about the people of Israel. God had brought them out of the land of Egypt to be His people.

One day the people of Israel decided they wanted to have a king. As they looked around they saw a young man named Saul. He was a fine-looking man and he was taller than anyone else. They said, "He will make a good king."

God sent His prophet Samuel to anoint Saul to be king over His people. The people were very happy. They were sure that Saul would be a good king for them.

One day God told King Saul to go out and destroy some of God's enemies. These people were very wicked. God did not want them to teach His people to do bad things. God told Saul to destroy the wicked people and everything that belonged to them. He was to destroy their houses, their clothes, and their animals. God told Saul not to take anything home with him.

Saul went out to battle against these people, and God gave him a great victory. But Saul did not obey God. Saul decided not to kill the king of these wicked people. Instead, Saul took the king back with him so he could show him off. Saul wanted everyone to know that he had captured this king.

Saul also decided not to destroy the best animals. Instead, he took them home also. Saul said to himself, "I will offer some of them as a gift to God and God will be pleased with me."

What a terrible mistake this was! God was not pleased with Saul. Saul had disobeyed Him. God is never pleased with us when we disobey Him.

When Samuel came to see King Saul, Saul said to him, "Blessed be thou of the Lord. I have performed the commandment of the Lord." But Samuel knew that this was not true, because he could hear the animals.

Then Samuel said to Saul, "To obey is better than sacrifice." Samuel meant that it is more important to obey God than to bring gifts to Him. Saul could no longer be king over Israel because he did not obey God. (See I Samuel 15)

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