Daily Devotional

-April 14, 2021-

Good morning, happy Wednesday,

-Man Looks At The Outward Appearance, But The Lord Looks At The Heart-

“But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look at his appearance or at his physical statue, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.’”

(1 Samuel 16:7).

God sent the prophet Samuel to anoint a new king over Israel. The current king, Saul, had disobeyed the Lord and God rejected him from being king. Though he remained king until his death in battle against the Philistines at Mount Gilboa. Samuel had to be very careful, for if Saul found out he was anointing his successor, he would have killed him and the new king.

God sent Samuel to the house of Jesse of the tribe of Judah to choose one of his sons. Jesse introduced his sons one by one from the oldest to the youngest. God refused each one, no matter how impressive they looked to Samuel. At last, Samuel asked Jesse if he had any more sons; there was one left, David, the youngest, a shepherd boy. He was the one God chose. Samuel then anointed him as king.

Now there were two kings. David had to wait many years to take the throne. Talk about having patience! Samuel learned a great lesson about God’s choosing and what is important to the Lord. God refers to David as, “a man after My own heart.” The heart and character of a man or woman is way more important than their outward appearance.

For a man to be a preacher, teacher, pastor, elder, deacon, writer, or missionary, God must choose him and call him, otherwise he will have little impact or effectiveness. What concerns me today is that men take pastorates like they take secular jobs. They attend seminary and then get hired by a church needing a new pastor. Boards sometimes select those whom God did not elect. A man may have all the qualities that man looks for but not have a shepherd’s heart.

Someone once said, “God does not call the qualified, but qualifies the called.” This is true of any ministry or position in the church. God gives the gifts and ordains His servants. He equips us to do His work and uses us for His glory. The Lord sees the heart, the potential, and what the results will be. In fact, God chose David, before he fought Goliath, before he became a mighty warrior for God, and way before he assumed the throne and led Israel as its greatest king. David’s success was because of the Lord not because of his own background, abilities, and talents.

David wrote in Psalm 139:1-4, “O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought from afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word on my tongue, but behold, O Lord, You know it altogether.”

In Scripture, as today, God choses His servants and uses them mightily for His glory. God chose Noah, Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Gideon, David, Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Peter, Paul, and so many others. We should never second guess the Lord, for He always knows best. As for us, let us have God’s perspective. Though we cannot see as the Lord sees into the heart, we should always pray for God’s perfect will. We, like Samuel, are human and we look at the outward appearance, the stature, the physique, or the past successes of people. We are so limited. We are so impressed with what we see and hear. Our God has all knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. God knows us way more than we know ourselves.

Have a blessed day being all God wants you to be, and look beyond the outward appearance. Stay safe and healthy.

Dean