The Lord Looks at the Heart
I Samuel 16:7 But the Lord said to Samuel, Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his st
I remember most vividly a particular sermon one of my pastors preached in my hometown church when I was in Junior High School. His sermon was entitled, The Body Beautiful, and he was contrasting how the media, the entertainment world, and the world of sports in particular all placed their emphasis on the way in which we look rather than character and morals. Pastor Larry went on to say, it was not what was on the outside that matters most to God, but what is on the inside of man.
In this passage, God has instructed the prophet Samuel to go among the sons of Jesse to find the next king of Israel following Saul. Upon arrival, God rejected the first seven sons of Jesse so Samuel would be led to anoint his youngest eighth son, David, who was out in the field attending sheep. And even in spite of David’s sins including adultery and murder, God saw that David had a repentant heart and was, as Scripture proclaims, a man after the heart of God.
Are you more concerned about outward appearances and trying to please God by the things you do or accomplish, or with honestly asking God what will honor Him when it comes to character, choices, and the way you live your daily life? Do you judge others by appearance? May we be Christians who invite the Holy Spirit to change us from the inside out?
Pastor Louie