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LEARN & GROW
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KEY VERSE
"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 / ESV)
CENTRAL TRUTH
God is not impressed with outward appearances, but He seeks His servants among those whose hearts are right toward Him.
DEVOTION
God is The Master Teacher! When He wants to make a point to His children, He often uses more than words. It seems to me that it would have been quicker and simpler for God just to tell Samuel to anoint Jesse's son David as king. But He says, " ‘...my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways'" (Isaiah 55:8). He used a powerful object lesson to teach some powerful points.
God does not choose people for special roles based on outward appearances. Ten young men were paraded in front of Samuel and rejected before God's choice was revealed. They hadn't passed God's heart test.
God calls whomever He wants to fulfill His purposes. Even a simple shepherd boy could be recruited to wear a crown. God looked into David's heart and found the right stuff. Even so, David faced years of preparation before his coronation, beginning with duties as court musician and armor bearer.
The lesson for you and me is that we need to keep our hearts pure in God's sight. We also need to be ready for His call to service, whether in a place of honor or a place of obscurity. We also must be careful not to judge others, based only on outward appearances. Finally, and, critically, we must always trust and obey God.
Have you mastered The Master's lessons?
I must admit as I write these words how far short I fall. But, with God's grace, I know that I can pray daily that He would search my heart and see if there is any wicked way in me.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
- When God looks into your heart, what does He see?
- What service has God prepared you to do? How well are you doing it?
- In what ways can we guard against making choices based solely on "outward appearances"?
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