A Whole New You

"The Spirit of the Lord will come upon you in power and you will prophesy with them an you will be changed into a different person." 1 Samuel 10:6

Most people today are not happy with themselves and desire to be changed, in some way, differently than how they appear or act. We spend hundreds millions of dollars every year "getting rich quick," loosing or gaining weight, "increasing" our IQ, having cosmetic surgery, getting younger skin, or growing hair. You name it and we are spending money trying to change it now!

When Saul was anointed king by God through Samuel, the Bible tells us "as Saul turned to leave,... God changed Saul's heart." (1 Samuel 10:9) He was later able to prophesy (something he had never done before) among the prophets, Samuel writes, even to the disbelief of those that had known Saul for many years. Samuel told Saul, "...do whatever your hand finds to do, for God is with you." 1 Samuel 10:7

Saul had been transformed by God from the person known by friends and family as Saul son of Kish who was last seen looking for his father's donkeys, into Saul the King of Israel! He was empowered by the Creator of the universe to do whatever he wanted to do and God would give him everything he needed to be successful. "Talk about a whole new you!"

Nevertheless, Saul, I believe, would always have doubts in the back of his mind. After all, "this is only Saul," his friends would say, "he cannot possibly be different." Even, at his coronation he was found "hiding among the baggage" (1 Samuel 10:22), too shy to step out and grasp the power the Lord gave him.

I believe we Christians doubt sometimes the power that our Lord gives us through the Holy Spirit. We choose to listen to old friends, who knew us before we received the Lord and became different men and women in Christ. They tell us we are not any different or that we shouldn't listen to that "religious stuff." Soon we find ourselves believing them rather than God and we fail to use the power that He has given us.

We must learn to stop "hiding among the baggage" and chasing the donkeys of our old selves and learn to "do whatever (our) hands find to do, for God is with (us)." Listen to God and not the Enemy (through our past life) and be the man or woman God has called us to be.

My prayer. Daddy, I come to you humbly to thank you for the great power you have given me through Jesus Christ. Today, I receive that power and ask for you to walk with me so that I can do whatever it is my hand finds to do. In Jesus name and for your glory I believe and pray. Amen!