Daily Fountain Devotional for October 11, 2024. by Church of Nigeria Anglican Communion
TOPIC: A New Heart for God’s Service
TEXT:1 Samuel 10:1-16 (NKJV)
- 10:1 Then Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on his head, and kissed him and said: “[Is it] not because the LORD has anointed you commander over His inheritance?
- 10:2 “When you have departed from me today, you will find two men by Rachel’s tomb in the territory of Benjamin at Zelzah; and they will say to you, ‘The donkeys which you went to look for have been found. And now your father has ceased caring about the donkeys and is worrying about you, saying, “What shall I do about my son?” ‘
- 10:3 “Then you shall go on forward from there and come to the terebinth tree of Tabor. There three men going up to God at Bethel will meet you, one carrying three young goats, another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a skin of wine.
- 10:4 “And they will greet you and give you two [loaves] of bread, which you shall receive from their hands.
- 10:5 “After that you shall come to the hill of God where the Philistine garrison [is.] And it will happen, when you have come there to the city, that you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place with a stringed instrument, a tambourine, a flute, and a harp before them; and they will be prophesying.
- 10:6 “Then the Spirit of the LORD will come upon you, and you will prophesy with them and be turned into another man.
- 10:7 “And let it be, when these signs come to you, [that] you do as the occasion demands; for God [is] with you.
- 10:8 “You shall go down before me to Gilgal; and surely I will come down to you to offer burnt offerings [and] make sacrifices of peace offerings. Seven days you shall wait, till I come to you and show you what you should do.”
- 10:9 So it was, when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, that God gave him another heart; and all those signs came to pass that day.
- 10:10 When they came there to the hill, there was a group of prophets to meet him; then the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them.
- 10:11 And it happened, when all who knew him formerly saw that he indeed prophesied among the prophets, that the people said to one another, “What [is] this [that] has come upon the son of Kish? [Is] Saul also among the prophets?”
- 10:12 Then a man from there answered and said, “But who [is] their father?” Therefore it became a proverb: “[Is] Saul also among the prophets?”
- 10:13 And when he had finished prophesying, he went to the high place.
- 10:14 Then Saul’s uncle said to him and his servant, “Where did you go?” So he said, “To look for the donkeys. When we saw that [they were] nowhere [to be found,] we went to Samuel.”
- 10:15 And Saul’s uncle said, “Tell me, please, what Samuel said to you.”
- 10:16 So Saul said to his uncle, “He told us plainly that the donkeys had been found.” But about the matter of the kingdom, he did not tell him what Samuel had said.
STUDY:
God chose Saul to be the first king of Israel and he was anointed privately by Samuel before a public official coronation (1Sam. 10:17-25; 11:14-15). It is significant to note that Saul had to receive the Spirit of God and was turned into another man with a new heart, for him to be able to serve as king in Israel (vv. 6 & v9).
Historically, Israel were known as God’s people, so why was it still necessary for the Spirit of God to come upon Saul (an Israelite), to turn him into another man with a new heart (vv. 6 & v9)? The reason is because titles do not make one a habitation of God’s Spirit. No one can be turned into another man for the service of God without the indwelling of the Spirit of God.
The carnal mind is enmity against God and His laws; and those in the flesh cannot please God (Rom. 8:7). It is unfortunate that many answer Christians, obtain titles from the church and even get committed in the service of God without having the Spirit of God in their lives. He that does not have the Spirit of God is none of His (Rom. 8:9).
The Spirit of God is obtained by repentance and inviting Jesus into our lives as Lord and Saviour (Ezek. 36:25-27; Tit. 3:5-6). Follow these simple steps and the Spirit of God will change your heart and inhabit and equip you for His service.
Prayer Point:
We pray for unity in our families, churches, and nation, O Lord.
Pray for all Christian Leaders and believers to be continually filled with the Spirit of God.
So in conclusion, the story of Saul’s anointing highlights the critical need for every Christian, including leaders, to receive a transformed heart through the Holy Spirit. Just like Saul was turned into another man by the Spirit of God, so too must we experience this divine change to serve in God’s kingdom effectively. It is not enough to bear the title of a Christian; true service comes with the indwelling of God’s Spirit. As members of the Anglican Communion, the Anglican Daily Fountain Devotional serves as a daily guide for spiritual growth, helping us continually seek the Spirit of God through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. Let us pray for all believers to be filled with the Spirit, enabling us to lead our families, churches, and nation in unity and truth, fulfilling God’s purpose in our lives.
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