Then Samuel took a flask of olive oil and poured it over Saul’s head. He kissed Saul on the cheek and said, “I am doing this because the Lord has appointed you to be the leader of his people Israel.”
Devotional Text
Samuel’s anointing of Saul provides insight into the nature of God’s anointing. The first thing that happened to Saul was that “God changed his heart” (v. 9). Samuel had told him, “You will be changed into a different person” (v. 6), and that is just what happened. The anointing of God upon your life changes you from “glory to glory” into the image of Jesus (2 Corinthians 3:18 KJV). Normally, you may be timid, but under the anointing, you will find yourself very bold. Second, the anointing caused Saul to prophesy and worship (1 Samuel 10:10). The Holy Spirit will help you to worship God with your spirit and not just with your mind. Under the anointing, you might prophesy, like Saul did. Such prophecy comes up out of your spirit and produces a stronger word from God than your intellect could produce. Finally, the anointing brought Saul a holy anger and power against the works of darkness (1 Samuel 11:6). A righteous indignation rose up within him, and he suddenly challenged the people to follow him to destroy the Ammonites. Open your spirit today for fresh anointing. Then get ready to move into a new level of change, worship, and power!