OCTOBER  15

HOW’S YOUR HEART?

1 SAMUEL 16:1-13


“But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.” (1 Sam. 16:7)

Samuel came to Jesse’s home to anoint one of his sons to be king. The first king of Israel, Saul, was a head and shoulder taller than anyone else in the nation (I Sam. 9:2). He was the choicest of all the men in the land. Samuel supposed that the next king would be similar. As he looked on Jesse’s oldest son, Eliab, he thought this was the one. Eliab must have been an impressive looking man!

But the Lord had someone else in mind. David, the youngest of Jesse’s sons, “had a healthy reddish complexion and beautiful eyes, and was fine looking” (I Sam. 16:12 AMP). David wasn’t what you’d consider “king” material. He kept sheep, played the harp, sang and wrote music. But God sees us differently than others see us – even how we see ourselves!

Our modern society has put a premium on outward the appearance. People abuse their bodies to achieve the perfect shape. Some people actually kill others to have the right standard of living and be in the proper social group. All of that is vanity. All of that will fade with age, if nothing else. In the Lord’s sight, it’s the qualities of the heart that are valued.

How’s your heart? How is the heart of the person you work with or live with? Due to their earth-suit, you might be passing another “King David” by. The real person is living inside. (AW)