10/28/2015
But God sees the heart...![]() I Samuel 16:7 says, “But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” Samuel, just like modern-day believers, had the sinful tendency to “judge a book by the cover,” so it is no surprise that it is a daily struggle for us. But the truth is, we don’t have the ability or authority to interpret someone’s intentions or life circumstances. It is our sinful pride that causes us to judge others based on their “outsides.” I {Vickibeth} believe there are two basic ways we judge others: 1. we determine upon minimal interaction or looks that a person is unqualified or subpar based upon our deduction OR 2. we put faith or confidence in someone who appears to be the perfect solution per our “flawless” diagnosis. We are so quick to make deep-heart determinations about someone simply by their attire, body language, or communication. We can be so quick to jump to a conclusion about someone. The homeless man on the corner is waiting for an opportunity to rob you; the mom that works full-time doesn’t love her kids as much as you do because you stay home with yours; you wear the latest fashions and she hasn’t been shopping in years so you clearly have it more together than she does…can you hear how ridiculous our judgments sound? Yet, I have personally heard people say or hint at every single one of these scenarios above. I recently had someone share with me that they knew someone had poor character based on what they had on (and it wasn’t a modesty issue). I realized again in that moment that my life has been filled with prideful moments where I thought the exact same thing. Somehow I was better than that person because my sin wasn’t as outward as her pregnant belly and bare ring finger or because I would never use that tone with my husband or because my body was not inappropriately exposed. We are so quick to look at people’s “outwards” and label. Aren’t you glad God doesn’t do that to us? I am! In addition to pridefully thinking we are better than someone else, there’s the opposite judgment as well, and that’s the example we see in 1 Samuel. This story makes me chuckle. God tells Samuel to go to the house of Jesse to anoint the next king of Israel. Naturally, like we all would have done, Samuel goes to the oldest, Eliab. We gather from the passage that he was big, strong, manly—he would be an excellent king to lead the people in battle—he would demand their respect! But, God tells Samuel, “…you see his outward appearance, you think he is My choice because of how he looks, but I can see his heart, and I say ‘move on.’” Samuel proceeds to move on through SEVEN sons, all of whom would have probably appeared more qualified than David, but God could see the hearts, and He knew that David was going to be a “man after His own heart.” I wonder how often we overlook God’s best option because we get distracted by the big and strong “Eliabs” and don’t patiently listen to God's direction to “keep moving.” It is easy to see the popular or vocal people around us and think, “Oh, she would be so much more fitting than that person to do that ministry or job.” Or maybe you think “she is so much more qualified to do this task than I am,” but it is not up to us to make those determinations. It’s His job. If God has called you to a task, He will be faithful to equip you in the same way that He faithfully took care of David. I recently had the opportunity to speak to a group of ladies at my church. I felt so inadequate. I was the youngest person in attendance and felt like I should be the one sitting and learning from the older women, but I had to put down my pride, stop dwelling on the women around me that seemed so much more qualified than I, and do what God had asked me to do at that moment. I have found three truths in this passage that have caused me to pause and evaluate my heart: 1. I am not God. I do not have the assigned task or ability to judge others negatively based upon their outward appearance or our initial interaction. I need to view all people through the loving eyes of my Savior and interact with them with a heart of love. 2. I am not God. I do not have the assigned task or the ability to judge others positively and put them on a pedestal based upon the outward actions I can see or the words I can hear. 3. I must stop comparing myself against others and determining that God would never be able to use me. If He has presented an opportunity to serve Him, I must remember that He sees my heart, He created me in His image, and He will faithfully help me complete the task at hand. So what about us? Have we fallen prey to the trap of judging others based on their “outwards”? If yes, we need to fall on our faces before God and ask Him to focus our attention back on Him. On the contrary, are you the victim of that harsh outward judgment? It hurts to be judged by our cover in a negative way, but take comfort that God sees your heart, and that’s all that matters in light of eternity! |
This space is reserved for Founder Mandy's perspectives and viewpoints of Scripture. Man is fallible, but God is not. It's strongly encouraged that you study the Scripture for yourself and allow the Holy Spirit to guide you in your understanding.
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