“So it was….that God gave him another heart and all the signs came to pass that day.”  1 Samuel 10:9

Saul is out looking for his father’s lost donkeys.  It had been three days and he and his companion have had no luck finding the runaway beasts.  Saul and his companion are about to give up when his companion remembers that there is a man of God, a seer, they called him living in the town.  Saul decides to go see him.

The next day, Saul meets Samuel hoping that Samuel will have some divine guidance about the lost donkeys.  Instead, Samuel tells Saul that they are to spend time together eating and he also tells him that all the desire of Israel rests on Saul.  Saul does not know that he is to become the first king of Israel.  He is not a politician or famous for anything so far in Israel.  In fact, in response to Samuel’s greeting (still not knowing of the impending kingship), Saul answers:  “Am I not a Benjamite, of the smallest tribes of Israel and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin?  No, it is very clear to Saul that great things are not in store for him now or in the future.

Saul is a little confounded that Samuel leads him into a great hall and seats him at the place of highest honor.  Also, the best cut of meat is brought and placed before Saul for him to eat.  They spend the rest of the day talking and the next day Saul is planning to return to his father.  In his mind, back to the life that he knew.  Samuel tells Saul of people he will meet and what is going to happen upon their meeting and that these would be signs.  It is then that everything changes for Saul.  He turns to leave Samuel, to go back to his life most assuredly pondering that strange thing that this prophet had said to him.  Then God enters into Saul and gives him a new heart.  It is with that new heart that Saul is now open to what Samuel had said, open to where God was leading him, open to the mission that God had for him.

A new heart.  A heart from God.  Now we begin to see the great lengths that God will go to grant us success and blessings in the tasks He appoints for us.  Whether it is heart of courage and leadership to a man like Moses, the heart to believe that there is a promised land with a son to share it with even to someone as old as Abraham, or the heart to accept bearing the Son of God to a poor peasant virgin, God will supply the heart we need.

Finally, the heart given to Saul and what he does with it, teaches us another great lesson.  For we must be diligent in our prayer and humble in our person to follow that heart.  For Saul started out as a mighty and righteous king, winning many battles for Israel.  Whether or not he forgot that he had been given a new heart or pridefully believed the heart and its strength were only his, Saul disobeys God and his heart and his life become broken.

Dear Brothers and Sisters, may it be that we long for the heart from God.  Samuel told Saul that he must wait patiently for seven days and so for us we must wait upon God to provide.  Though once He provides, we must be ready to let that heart beat strong for us giving us His life’s blood and strength to confidently go out and conquer whatever task God has set before us.  And this is extremely important, once we have conquered, we must humbly give thanks and praise to the One who gave His heart to us allowing us to triumph.

It is when we are the stillest that we can here our heart beating.  God will come to us in that stillness and give us (or perhaps for some the heart has already been transplanted) the heart that we need.  May we it be a heart dedicated to the Love and Praise of Our Heavenly Father.

Our Most Gracious and Heavenly Father, we are not sufficient to accomplish that which You have placed before us; alone.  We know and pray that You will give to us a new heart, a heart from You, just like You did Saul.  Help us to be strong and confident in using that new heart, Almighty Father in completing the mission You have for us.  Please, Most Merciful Father, give us a spirit of humility, that in successfully fulfilling that mission we will not turn from You claiming our own glory.  That with Your gift of heart forever beating within us, we will live a life worthy of Your Praise.  In the Name of Jesus Christ we pray.  Amen.