As Samuel journeys to Bethlehem to seek out and anoint the next king, his expectation is that God is directing him to an impressive man–one who is physically fit, muscular, tall and good looking. But Samuel is in for a surprise. When he believes he found the man who fits this “impressive” list, God rejects him. I never get tired of reading God’s words to Samuel when Samuel assumes that Eliab, David’s older brother, is God’s choice for the next king.
“But the LORD said to Samuel, ‘Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart'” (1 Samuel 16:7).
Whether we realize it or not, we all get caught up in outward appearances. I know I certainly do. So I was thankful for this reminder that God isn’t concerned about what we look like on the outside. He’s looking inside–at our hearts–and what He desires most is for us to love, follow and serve Him fully.
What would happen if we looked at people with God’s perspective? In other words, if we focused on each person’s heart or spiritual condition instead of a person’s outward appearance? Would you join me in making this a priority this week? No matter what someone looks like or what encounter we have with them, let’s commit to seeing them through God’s eyes–finding out their heart condition (spiritually speaking) and then taking action to help and encourage them to the best of our ability. Tami
Source: Tami’s Blog
