1 Samuel 16:7

“But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.'” 1 Samuel 16:7

In this passage of scripture Samuel is told, by God, to go to Jesse, in Bethlehem, because God had chosen a king from among his sons. Jesse is to anoint the one God has chosen to be King. Notice it is the one God has chosen. This is important.

Jesse had many sons. When Samuel and Jesse were considering who God had called to be king they were looking on the outward appearance of the sons.

It wasn’t until they had considered all but one of Jesse’s sons that God made it clear; it was the one least expected to be chosen.

There are so many lesson that can come out of this chapter of 1 Samuel , but I will focus on verse 7.

God made it clear to Samuel that what was important to Him was man’s heart. God looks past the physical attributes. He gets to the core of what a man really is. “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” Proverbs 4:23. “As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart.” Proverbs 27:19.

You are not your body. The body is a house where you can live out your physical life here on this earth. It is temporary. You will die in the flesh one day. But your spirit will live for eternity. That’s why Paul says in 1 Timothy 4:8, “For while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.”

God is much more concerned about your character than he is about your hair, body structure, or your style. God looks past all that is visible and into the depths of who you really are.

So if the outward man is perishing and coming to an end and your spirit will live for eternity, which one should you focus on? Which one should you make sure is healthy, clean, and desirable?

Ask yourself these question and journal the answers. How long do I take to get myself up and ready in the morning? How long does it take me to shower and clean and brush my teeth? How long does it take me to pick an outfit and get dressed? How much time do I put into makeup and hair styling?

So much time is put into the things that don’t matter spiritually. God is not impressed. His desire is that you take time on the things that matter.

Now ask yourself these questions and journal your answers. How much time do I spend reading God’s word? How much time do I sit in God’s presence and listen for him to speak to me? How much time do I take to get away and alone with God to pour out my heart to him? How much time do I take to search my heart and repent? Do I take time to practice righteousness? (1 John 3:7.)

Now stop and compare your notes. What do you spend more time on? Are you more concerned about your physical appearance than you are about the condition of your heart? What does this say about what you value most?

The Bible says, “you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32. We know that Jesus is truth and in Him there is no deceit. Go to the Lord in prayer and ask him to help you be honest about where you are and who you are. It is in our honesty that we are able to work on our hearts. If I don’t believe something is broken, I will never fix it.

I would encourage you in one more thing as I end this devotion. If God’s focus is on the inward man, shouldn’t we also, when we are dealing with others? How many relationships, friendships, business partners, and more, have we judged wrongly by outward appearance and missed out on something good, or harmed ourselves because of it?

Let’s do better. Let’s spend more time on our inner man and looking deeper into the heart of our fellow man!