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Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Thursday, 24 July 2025:
1 Samuel 10:1 – Then Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on his head and kissed him and said, “Has not the Lord anointed you to be prince over his people Israel? And you shall reign over the people of the Lord and you will save them from the hand of their surrounding enemies…”
Saul receives a public and prophetic anointing, marking him as the one chosen by God to lead Israel. Although the people had asked for a king in rejection of God’s rule (1 Sam 8:7), God still refers to them as “His people” and gives Saul the task of delivering them. This anointing is not merely political — it is sacred. It affirms that leadership in Israel is ultimately a stewardship under God’s authority. The kiss is a sign of submission and confirmation, not affection alone. Saul’s authority is legitimate only because it has been granted by the Lord.
1 Samuel 10:2–8 – “When you depart from me today, you will meet two men…. Then you shall go… where you shall meet a group of prophets… and the Spirit of the Lord will rush upon you, and you will prophesy with them and be turned into another man.”
Samuel gives Saul a series of prophetic signs that will confirm God’s calling upon his life. The final sign — the Spirit of the Lord rushing upon Saul and transforming him — is central. God does not merely call Saul; He empowers him. This transformation is necessary because human strength is insufficient for divine assignments. However, this “turning into another man” is not the same as the permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit promised to New Testament believers. It is a temporary empowerment to fulfill a specific calling. Still, it highlights that true spiritual leadership depends on God’s Spirit, not natural ability or charisma.
1 Samuel 10:6, 7, 10, 11 — The Spirit of the Lord will come upon you in power… and you will be changed into a different person. Once these signs are fulfilled, do whatever your hand finds to do, for God is with you…. God changed Saul’s heart… the Spirit of God came upon him in power…. “What is this that has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?”
Saul was not searching for God, he was searching for donkeys; but God had chosen him, and God changed his heart and empowered him with the Holy Spirit in order to fulfill God’s purposes. Saul’s life was completely changed. Only through the power of the Holy Spirit could Saul accomplish the work God had in store for him, not through his own wisdom and might. When the people looked at Saul (from their human perspective) they said, “How can this fellow save us?” They could not understand the power of the Spirit.
The Spirit of the Lord came “upon” Saul with power for a specific purpose, but we shall see that due to Saul’s sin, the Spirit will also depart from him. However when a person is saved by grace through faith in Jesus (Ephesians 2:8, 9), the Holy Spirit dwells “within” them (Galatians 4:6; Acts 2:4; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 5:5; Romans 8:9-11; 1 Corinthians 3:16; Galatians 4:6; John 1:17; 1 Corinthians 6:19) permanently (Ephesians 4:30), and they are whole new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17), destined to be conformed into the image of Christ (Romans 8:29; Philippians 1:6) and to have unity with God forever within the family of Christ (John 17:21-23; Romans 8:16).
If you have genuinely accepted Christ and your LORD King and Savior you have the Holy Spirit, not just a little bit, you are filled with the Holy Spirit. You are transformed and are being transformed. In Christ, you have been granted “granted… all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence….” (2 Peter 1:3) The outpouring of your life should be continually the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5). However, the Bible warns us not to get out of step with the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:25), quench the Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19), grieve the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30), resist the Holy Spirit (Acts 7:51), or, God forbid, outrage the Holy Spirit (Hebrews 10:29). You can have the Holy Spirit but deny its power by not loving God and others as you ought.
- Galatians 5:16–17, 25 — But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit…. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.
- John 15:4–5, 7–10 — “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself… so neither can you, unless you abide in me…. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish…. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love…”
- Romans 8:5–6, 13–14 — For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit…. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.”
- Colossians 3:1–3, 12–17 — Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth… Put on then, as God’s chosen ones… compassionate hearts, kindness, humility…. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly… and whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus….
- Ephesians 5:18–21 — And do not get drunk with wine… but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs… giving thanks… submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.”
- Philippians 2:12–13 — Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
- 2 Corinthians 3:17–18 — Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all… are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
The Lord gives His children the Holy Spirit that they may know Him, have unity in Him, and grow up in Him to spiritual maturity; and the Lord empowers His children with the Holy Spirit so they can accomplish the humanly impossible task of sharing the Gospel to the ends of the earth – “And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’” (Matthew 28:18-20)
So, what is your story? Were you ever surprised by God while you were searching for proverbial lost donkeys? Have you been saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ and become a new creation, filled with and empowered by the Holy Spirit? How is the Holy Spirit working in your life to fulfill God’s purposes, especially that of sharing the Gospel?
1 Samuel 10:9–13 – When he turned his back to leave Samuel, God gave him another heart…. And when all who knew him previously saw how he prophesied… the people said… “Is Saul also among the prophets?”
God confirms Saul’s calling by doing exactly what Samuel foretold. Saul is changed by God — given a new disposition for leadership — but the people are surprised. They question his sudden transformation because Saul had shown no signs of spiritual leadership before. This reminds us that God often calls and equips people others would never expect. Even so, spiritual experiences and gifting are not the same as long-term obedience and character. Saul’s later failures prove that dramatic beginnings can fade without consistent surrender to God.
“God gave him another heart.” Only God can give you a new heart. No one can fix his old heart.
1 Samuel 10:14–16 – Saul’s uncle said… “Please tell me what Samuel said to you.” And 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 anything.
Although Saul has just been anointed as Israel’s first king, he keeps the matter to himself. This may suggest humility or hesitation, perhaps even fear. While it is good to avoid self-promotion, Saul’s silence may already hint at an internal struggle—a reluctance to fully embrace what God has called him to do. In contrast to David later, who runs toward God’s calling with a heart of worship and boldness, Saul often retreats from responsibility or deflects it.
1 Samuel 10:17–24 – Samuel called the people together… “You have rejected your God… and have said, ‘Set a king over us.’” … When they sought [Saul], he could not be found…. So they inquired again of the Lord, “Is there a man still to come?” and the Lord said, “Behold, he has hidden himself among the baggage.”
At the public coronation, Samuel reminds the people that their demand for a king was ultimately a rejection of God. This prophetic rebuke is not glossed over — God wants His people to understand the cost of their decision. Then Saul, the newly chosen king, is found hiding. This moment of fear and hiding, though seemingly modest, shows the first public sign of Saul’s spiritual instability. He is tall, chosen, empowered by the Spirit, and yet when it’s time to stand, he retreats. The man chosen to lead Israel must be called out of hiding by God Himself. This is both tragic and telling — leadership begins with God’s call but requires personal courage and trust.
1 Samuel 10:25–27 – Then Samuel told the people the rights and duties of the kingship…. But some worthless fellows said, “How can this man save us?” And they despised him and brought him no present. But he held his peace.
Samuel establishes a written standard for kingship—implying that kings, too, are accountable to God’s law. Some reject Saul’s authority immediately, showing that God’s chosen leaders will always face opposition. Saul’s response — he remains silent — could be seen as self-controlled or passive. His peacekeeping spirit here is admirable, but as his story unfolds, his reluctance to confront evil will become a consistent flaw. Leadership demands both patience and courage.
In Acts 1:8, Jesus tells the apostles, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses…” Saul’s empowering by the Spirit in 1 Samuel 10 is a shadow of the greater and permanent empowerment given to New Testament believers. But unlike Saul, who receives the Spirit and still struggles to obey, the believer in Christ is called not only to receive power but to walk in it by abiding in Christ daily (John 15:4–5).
“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) – 24 July 2025: Today, ask yourself: Am I hiding from what God has clearly called me to do? Have I received His call but retreated in fear, insecurity, or pride? God doesn’t just call us—He equips us, confirms His Word, and patiently draws us out when we shrink back. Trust that His Spirit is sufficient, and don’t let past failures or public scrutiny keep you from stepping into obedience. Come out from the baggage, and stand where He has placed you—with confidence in His strength, not your own.
Pray: “Father, thank You for calling me not because I am worthy, but because You are merciful. Help me not to hide from Your purposes or shrink back from obedience. Fill me with Your Spirit, not for a moment but for a lifetime of faithful service. Let me walk in courage, humility, and full dependence on You. Teach me to obey even when I feel unqualified, for Your power is made perfect in weakness. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
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