But the Lord said to Samuel,
“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.” 1 Samuel 16:7 (NLT)
The
words spoken by the Lord to Samuel were regarding Jesse’s son Eliab, who was tall
and handsome. Samuel did what we do
every day. He made a judgment about
someone’s character based solely on his outward appearance. The reason it is so
imperative to seek the wisdom of the Lord when making decisions of this nature
is because God looks upon the heart of a man.
He sees thru the outer veneer into the deepest recesses of our hearts
where our thoughts and intentions reside. The way someone dresses, talks and/or
acts truthfully tells us nothing regarding the type of individual they
are. All those facets of a person can be
a gaudy façade used to hide their true nature.
The
standards of God, which provide a guide for godly living, reveal the inner man
rather than the outer man. Many an
individual has been duped by the dubious intentions of people who seek to con
someone thru a polished personal presentation.
It is the spirit filled believer who can discern the falseness of a
person and avoid being taken advantage of.
That is very different from judging based on their outward
appearance.
We see
people who look different than us every day.
They have been created by Almighty God just as we have. God loves them unconditionally just as He
does us. God didn’t pass judgment on us prior to our conversion, therefore we
shouldn’t pass judgment on others. In
God’s economy the Lord uses the weak and the disenfranchised more readily than
those who seem to have it all together.
It flies in the face of the way the world does things, but God knows
that everyone counts and anyone who has a willing heart can be used for His
glory. Until next time, walk with the
King and be a blessing!
NOTE:
NLT is the New Living Translation.
Resources:
Matthew Henry’s Bible Commentary; Reformation Study Bible.
