Change You Can Believe In!

In the 2008 Presidential Campaign, candidate, Barack Obama, promised voters that he would deliver a, "Change You Can Believe In!" He has certainly delivered change in our country, but many debate whether it's the kind of change we want, need, or should believe in.
During the time of the Judges in Israel's history, the Jewish people would fall away from God, repent, and then ask God for a leader to deliver them. In time, God would grant their request, they would be set free and temporarily change, but later they would fall away from God again and set the whole cycle back in motion. This happened many times. They eventually came to the prophet, Samuel, and asked God to give them a king, so they could be like all the other nations around them. In spite of God's warnings otherwise, they continued in their request until God gave them what they asked for in a man named, Saul. Though he was physically built for the task ("he stood head and shoulders above anyone else"; I Sam.9:2; 10:23), Samuel was a rather insecure, shy, and unassuming individual (I Sam.9:21; ; 10:16,22). But, Samuel assured Saul with this promise from the Lord, "the Spirit of the Lord will come upon you with power, and .......you will be changed into a different person" (I Sam. 10:6,9). Later, when the Ammonites threatened the Israelite city of Jabesh-gilead and and promised to spare the people of that city, only if they all agreed to have one of their eyes gouged out (I Sam.11:1&2), the people sent messengers throughout Israel to find someone who would help them. It was Saul who became righteously angry, summoned God's people to battle, and led the army of Israel in victory over the Ammonites. And while Saul started out in his reign by following and obeying the Lord, he later became stubborn and disobedient to the Lord and fell out of God's grace.
God promises you and I in the New Testament, "if anyone is in Christ, he/she is a new creation. The old has gone and the new has come" (II Cor.5:17). Only God can bring about a change in our individual lives, our marriages, our families, our churches, our communities, and our nation that we can TRULY believe in. "Now if you will fear and worship the Lord and listen to His voice, and if you do not rebel against the Lord's commands, and if you and your king follow the Lord your God, then all will be well. But if you rebel against the Lord's commands and refuse to listen to Him, then His hand will be heavy upon you as it was upon your ancestors" (I Sam. 12:14-16). There will be many who promise change for others, or promise to change themselves. But, only God can bring about REAL change that is from the heart, and REAL change that will last. Choose this day and every day to, "fear and worship the Lord and listen to His voice.....follow the Lord your God, then (and ONLY then) all will be well."