# 50 2016 Dev. I Sa.16:7. The purpose of these devotionals is to draw closer to God by memorizing selected passages of Scripture. Further, to view the passage in context and grow spiritually by applying His Word to our daily living with family, friends and others. All passages are taken from the NIV.
Samuel 16:7
7 “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.”
After Saul the first king of Israel disobeyed God multiple times, God sent the prophet Samuel to anoint a man to take his place. That is the context of this verse: Samuel, when he saw the oldest son of Jesse was impressed but God reminded him otherwise. This happened seven times but God did not choose the older brothers of David.
How often don’t we do the same thing as we look at the outward appearance or at a person’s accomplishments or non-accomplishments and ignore the signs of the heart. Samuel came to Jesse to worship but the youngest son was left out, apparently not considered worthy to worship with the family. He was out with the sheep, not exactly an upstanding occupation in David’s day. David’s humble position and attitude was preparation for what God choose him to become, a King forever. By God’s grace “he was a man after God’s own heart” not in spite of his short comings but because of his repentance and God’s choosing. By grace he became the earthly father of the Savior of the world.
Isn’t that how things are? The humble, the meek, those thinking about others and those concerned with creation are not those the world sees as the beautiful people. One can hardly walk past the checkout counter at the grocery store and not see all the beautiful people magazines telling us how mundane we are. We thank God: “The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” Praise be to Him!
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Heavenhigh 