Creator, Father, King #108

The LORD doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.

SAUL WAS NOT FIT to rule over God’s people. Time and time again, Israel’s first king had violated God’s commands. He made unlawful sacrifices (1 Samuel 13:8-14) and rash vows (14:24), flagrantly disregarded God’s military orders (chapter 15), consulted a medium (chapter 28), and even threw a spear at his own son, Jonathan (20:33)!

First Samuel 16:1-13 tells the story of God choosing a new king through the prophet, Samuel. “Go to Bethlehem,” God told Samuel. “Find a man named Jesse who lives there, for I have selected one of his sons to be my king.”

One by one, Jesse paraded his sons before the prophet. Samuel was impressed with Eliab, the oldest. To Samuel, Eliab looked like great king material! But God quickly interjected: “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The LORD doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart” (today’s verse).

Under God’s guidance, Samuel passed over Jesse’s seven oldest children before anointing his young shepherd-boy son. David—“a man after [God’s] own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14)—would be Israel’s next king.

What’s It Mean?

In 1893, Dr. Daniel Hale Williams performed the world’s first recorded successful open-heart surgery in Chicago. These days, open-heart surgeries are commonplace. This, however, is as close as we will get to looking inside the human heart.

Modern-day doctors might be able to physically peer into someone’s heart to repair bodily maladies. But only God can truly examine someone’s spiritual status.

Outward appearances are extremely important to us. We judge others—and ourselves—by them all the time. (Why do you think the fashion and cosmetic industries are multibillion-dollar global enterprises?)

Thankfully, God doesn’t judge us by standards of height, weight, skin color, hair length, muscle tone, or anything else so superficial. (He made us in his image, so we are all beautiful to him, no matter what we look like.) God cares about things of eternal significance: Are we seeking him and his will through Christ? Are we loving? Do we sacrifice our needs for the good of others? Do we walk in humility? These are the things that God values.

We would be wise to prioritize what God does—both in ourselves and in those whom we associate with.

Now What?

When you choose friends, look below the surface for godly characteristics such as love, kindness, patience, humility, etc.

Did You Know?

Superficial human judgment is nothing new. Look up the ancient Greek myth of Narcissus!