SAMUEL greatly needed to think and act rightly. He was face to face with a project of tremendous importance to his nation: that of selecting a successor to King Saul. After rebuking Samuel's delay, God gave him this specific instruction (I Sam. 16:1): "Fill thine horn with oil, and go." Still Samuel resisted. He was afraid. Then he received this wonderful assurance: "I will shew thee what thou shalt do."
Samuel's doubts and fears must have vanished as he realized that he could rely completely upon the presence, intelligence, and power of God, divine Love, to govern his thought and action, for we read, "Samuel did that which the Lord spake." History records the wisdom and far-reaching effects of Samuel's choice of David, for David was without doubt the greatest of the kings of Israel.
The power to think and act rightly is essential to the success of every project, whether it be a simple household task or something vital to the welfare of an individual, a family, or a nation. It is commonly believed that this power is a personal attribute, a product of human intellect, human will, or physical strength, with perhaps some elements of chance added. But Christian Science, in agreement with the teachings of the Bible, declares that the power to think and act rightly is derived exclusively from God.
