It was a dark day for the nation of Israel. There was no king to lead the people. The pagan neighbors of Israel were stealing her harvest and abusing her people. Israel cried to God for divine assistance. God responded to her cry by speaking to the prophet Samuel.
Samuel was in the twilight years of his ministry. Even though Samuel was old, he remained sensitive to the voice of God. God gave a clear word of knowledge to Samuel concerning Israel’s need for a king (1 Samuel 9:16). God told Samuel that within 24 hours he would meet a young man from the land of Benjamin whom He had chosen to be king of Israel. God’s instruction to Samuel was that he should anoint this young man to lead Israel.
Samuel heard God say to him concerning Saul, “Anoint him leader over my people Israel; he will deliver my people from the hand of the Philistines. I have looked upon my people, for their cry has reached me” (1 Samuel 9:16 niv). God always responds to the desperate cry of His people. Speak His name in the darkest hour of your life. He will hear your cry and respond to your need.
Through God’s providence, the very next day Samuel met Saul in the gate of the city. Saul was from the land of Benjamin, Israel’s smallest tribe. From a human perspective, Saul was a most unlikely candidate to become king of Israel. Nevertheless, Saul was God’s choice. Samuel greeted Saul in the gate of the city. He then took a flask of oil and poured it upon Saul’s head before giving him a profound word of prophecy.
As the anointing oil flowed over Saul’s head, face, and clothes, Samuel said to Saul, “The Spirit of the Lord will come upon you in power, and you will prophesy…and you will be changed into a different person…for God is with you” (I Samuel 10:6-7 niv). On the day of Saul’s anointing, God dramatically changed him into a different person. The anointing of God’s Spirit in Saul’s life made the difference. God instantly gave him supernatural gifts and abilities of leadership that he could have never acquired without God’s enablement.
You, too, can be changed by God’s touch upon your life. You may feel inadequate and incapable of fulfilling the purpose of God for your life. Still, God imparts supernatural abilities to those who cry out to Him in faith. God has promised you in His Word, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you” (Ezekiel 36:26 niv). God changed the life of Jesus on the day of His baptism. From that day forward, the earthly ministry of Jesus was characterized by many miraculous works. The anointing of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost changed the lives of the disciples. Timid, feeble, and inept men became mighty instruments of God’s power and mercy as they evangelized their world with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Do not doubt. Do not be dismayed. Stand firm in faith upon the Word of God. Today, through the power of the Holy Spirit, you can be “changed into a different person.”