”But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."
1 Samuel 16:7New International Version (NIV)
1 Samuel 16:7 Devotional (Daily Bible Verse)
God looks at the heart, not the outward appearance
1 Samuel 16:7 contains an important biblical principle: “God looks at the heart, not the outward appearance“. On the contrary, you and I look at the outward appearance, not the heart.
We judge other people by looking at their outward appearances. No wonder the author of the Book of Samuel described Saul as a “handsome a young man as could be found anywhere in Israel, and a head taller than anyone else” (1 Samuel 9:2).
God chooses servants based on the condition of their hearts
But God doesn’t choose His servants as we do. He chooses servants based on the condition of their hearts. No wonder, God anointed David as the king of His people Israel.
David was, therefore, an improbable person. And this is because God does not look at the outward appearance. He looks at the heart.
Saul’s heart
A keen reading of 1 Samuel 13, specifically verse 9, records that Saul offered a burnt offering to God. And then verse 13 records that Samuel told Saul that “He had done a foolish thing because he had not kept the command the Lord His God, which would have established his kingdom over Israel for all time”.
An additional reading of 1 Samuel 15, specifically verses 11 and 22, records Saul’s disobedience of God’s command. God commanded him to destroy “all that belonged to the Amalekites” (1 Samuel 15:3), but Saul didn’t do as he was commanded. He spared the king of the Amalekites and everything that was good (1 Samuel 15:8-9).
Saul’s disobedience made God regret why He had made him king over His people (1 Samuel 15:11). God, therefore, rejected him as king over Israel because of his disobedience(1 Samuel 15:22-23).
King Saul was, therefore, a proud and disobedient servant, unlike Samuel. These character flaws cost him and his family the monarchy of Israel.
David’s heart
Consequently, in 1 Samuel 16, God sent Samuel to Bethlehem to anoint a king from Jesse’s eight (8) sons. Therefore, Samuel based his judgment on appearance (1 Samuel 16:7).
Eliab, Jesse’s eldest son, particularly blew away Samuel. No wonder the writer of this Book used the words “When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, ‘Surely the Lord’s anointed stands here before the Lord'” to describe Samuel’s thoughts (1 Samuel 16:6).
Prophet Samuel, therefore, based his initial judgment on what he saw, on the outward appearance of Eliab. And Jesse never thought that David could have been God’s choice. No wonder he never presented David before Samuel, and both he and Samuel were finally surprised that none of Jesse’s seven (7) sons was God’s choice.
David was a man after God’s heart
But the author of the Book of Samuel describes David as a man after God’s heart (1 Samuel 16:12). Yet Samuel and David’s father both looked at the outward appearances of David’s seven (7) brothers (1 Samuel 16:6-10).
The fact that God gave a disclaimer when Jesse presented his eldest son is very significant. He wanted to align Samuel with His thoughts and ways when he was choosing the second king of Israel. That He considers the hearts of His potential servants.
God looks at the heart
Therefore, the bottom line is that God looks at the heart, your heart included. He looks for a man after His heart (1 Samuel 16:12). Because outward appearances don’t reveal who people really are. They don’t show a person’s character.
However, your heart does show your character (Proverbs 4:23, Luke 6:45, and John 6:70). And only God can see or knows the hearts of men, your heart included. So, you better build your heart with His word.
Prayer/Blessing
Lord God, I give You my heart. Please mold it into the heart that You desire me to have. I desire for my heart to seek after and please You all the days of my life.
This is my humble prayer of faith in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Daily Bible Reading
Joshua 9-10 (see How to Read the Bible in One Year or How to Read the Bible (for Beginners))
