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 16:7 NIV
One of the most offensive things to encounter is when individuals look at your outward appearance and make a judgement or conclusion based upon a quick glance. How many times have people encountered your facial expression at the wrong time and immediately said you’re mean? They caught you in traffic after you were cut off, so you have road rage. Life is filled with moments of people judging the book by its cover, but we can find joy in knowing God doesn’t see it that way.
In our text Samuel’s role is to anoint the next king because Saul has been rejected, so Samuel must go down to Jesse’s house in Bethlehem where the next king is residing. Take note that not even Jesse knew what was residing in his home, don’t think it strange when people who live around can’t recognize your potential or possibility. Samuel arrives and Jesse brings forth all his sons except for the youngest one David, one brother had the height and appearance supposedly, yet he was not the one. What do they see when they look at you? Are they so focused on the cover that they don’t take the opportunity to open the book. When we look at this verse it helps us to understand that the heart is where it really is, not how I look or what I wear. Take the chance to see my heart; then you’ll see how friendly, anointed, and passionate I am. What do they see when they look at you? Aren’t you exhausted with people only taking a quick glance and making false assumptions about you? Here is the shout regardless of what they see, what does God see? Our world would be in a different place if more people looked at the heart, heart vision requires maturity. Immature people glance and make decisions, but a mature individual thoroughly takes the time to know and then decide. One of the associate pastors of my home church used to make gumbo, I watched him add all these ingredients and I said there’s no way I’m eating that. So, when the gumbo was finished, he said trust me, just try it. I’ve been eating gumbo ever since, what would I have missed out on if I went only by what I seen and never experienced. That’s why the psalmist said, "oh, taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8a NKJV).
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