“Appearance can be deceiving and rarely tells the full story.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – July 13, 2024
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
In an effort to enhance the landscaping of our home, I recently transplanted a young tree from the front yard to the back. After a few hours of backbreaking work, slowly and methodically digging out the root ball and hauling this tree to its new home, it was planted and securely in the ground. As I stood back to observe its new home, I realized the visible portion of the tree was unchanged from just a few hours before. The foliage was still bright green and bursting with life, masking the violent disruption and shock its root system had experienced. There was a great disconnect between the appearance of health and the reality of the situation.
In 1 Samuel 16, Samuel seeks to find the one God has called to be King from among the sons of Jesse. When he looked upon Eliab, his appearance immediately convinced Samuel that this must be the one. Yet, like the tree in my garden, the Lord reminded Samuel that appearance can be deceiving and rarely tells the full story. Did he have height and great stature? Yes, but those physical traits alone are insufficient to be a leader of integrity who follows the ways of the Lord. As our verse reminds us, “man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”
Are there ways in your own life that you have too quickly made a judgment about someone else based solely on their physical appearance? Does their physical beauty predispose you to listen to their insights? Does their air of self-confidence cause you to promote them into places of leadership and authority, even though their character has never been proven or tested? Or, on the other hand, do you all too quickly dismiss and discount someone based on their outward appearance, when in truth, their hearts may be burning with the fire of God and one on whom his favor rests?
Let us today remember these ancient words and be slow to judge and quick to question our motives, asking the Lord to help us see others as he sees them, and to follow as he leads.
Prayer
Father, give us eyes to see others as you see them, and keep us from judging others based on the broken standards of our fallen world, we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Application
Reflect upon this question today: Are there ways in your own life that you have too quickly made a judgment about someone else based solely on their physical appearance?
Related Reading
Proverbs 21:2; Luke 16:15; Hebrews 4:12
Worship Resource
Kari Kobe: Nothing Else + The Heart of Worship
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