Dear Friends,
God changed a young man named Saul’s heart—-and he became a king.
God saw something that he liked in Saul before he became the first king of Israel even though He knew that as a King Saul would ultimately fail. It seems to suggest that our proclivities and future erring does not prohibit God from still using us and blessing us for good purposes.
What does it mean for God to change my heart? Peace, joy, purpose and “power”. But yet, even after God changed his heart, Saul was overwhelmed with God’s choice of him to become king. He HIDE when the time came to anoint him king. It was an awesome thing that God was calling Saul to do-that’s why He changed his heart! God does change our hearts so that we can become pieces in a museum! There’s work to be done and His hand was upon Saul to do good things through him for the people of Israel. Has He changed my heart? If He has then I must not shirk away from what He has purposed for me to endure or the tasks He has chosen for me to perform.
When God’s hand upon us it always seems to be connected with humility, and the absence of His hand reveals or unleashes disgusting arrogance and pride. You can see Saul submitted to God and a servant of God in the beginning of his reign, but later that all changed.
Of course the great things that happened in Saul’s life happened after God changed his heart. The sad things happened in his life happened after his heart turned away from God. This is not to say, of course, that sad days are a sign we’ve turned away from Him or that happy days represent that God is pleased with us. Sometimes it’s the precise opposite! But sustained joy comes from a pure heart and sustained unrest comes from a hard heart—one devoid of God.
It’s instructive to me, one that desires to have God in my heart in all that I do, to note that when Saul’s heart turned away from God, Saul exhibited jealousy (of David) rage (towards his own favored son, Jonathan) and a lack of moral will power (e.g. he committed the exact sins he detested and outlawed such as getting advice from the medium, Endora.
What is it that keeps my eyes turned to him and me attentive to Him? Troubles and challenges.
Praise God my work is not too easy or my life too successful….“I need thee every hour”.
Psalm 51:10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
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