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  <strong>They put the <em>nickels </em>and the <em>pennies </em>in the collection plate!</strong><br />
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&quot;Now go, attack the Amalekites and <strong>totally destroy everything</strong> that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys!&quot; 1 Samuel 15:3<br />
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&quot;<em>Saul and the troops</em> <em>spared Agag,</em> and the <strong>best </strong>of the sheep, cattle, and fat-lings, as well as the young rams and the <em>best </em>of everything else. But they did destroy all the<em>worthless </em>and <em>unwanted </em>things.&quot; 1 Samuel 15:9<br />
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They utterly destroyed all the common spoil — but spared whatever was especially good. They kept all the fat, plump sheep and cattle — and destroyed the poor, lean and worthless ones. That is the way with a good many people. They are quite ready to <em>devote to God</em> the things they do not care much for — but the things that are desirable for their own use, they keep. <br />
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This spirit is shown in the way many <strong>give </strong>to the Lord's service. The gold and silver and the banknotes they keep for themselves; while <strong>they put the <em>nickels </em>and the <em>pennies </em>in the collection plate!</strong><br />
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It is shown, too, in the way they treat their own vices and lusts. Those that they do not particularly love — they crush out with amazing zeal. But their <strong> favourite vices and fat, rich sins</strong> — they spare for their own indulgence!<br />
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The evil things in us — are <strong>our Amalekites</strong>, and we are to destroy them! Yet how many of us, like Saul, cut away at the <em>little Amalekites</em> — and spare the <em>big Agags?</em> Do not some of us also see the story of our own disobediences and failures — in the way Saul treated God and His commandments?