SCRIPTURE:
“When they arrived, Samuel took one look at Eliab and thought, “Surely this is the Lord’s anointed!”
But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them.
People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.””
1 Samuel 16:6-7
OBSERVATION:
The LORD is paving the way for a new king. Saul holds the “office” the LORD had placed him in, but the disobedience and internal rejection of the LORD’s instructions is causing Saul’s heart to do things his own way.
Samuel makes his way to Jesse’s house obeying the LORD’s commands. Most of Jesse’s sons arrive—at least the ones that are probably future king material.
Samuel sees Eliab; he might have had flashbacks of Saul; tall, dark, and handsome. Maybe he works out at the gym. Designer shepherd cloaks. Yup, ‘kay LORD, got em!
The LORD speaks to Samuel, one of the most repeated segments of God’s word, especially in discipleship circles.
“The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
And that one son of Jesse, who wasn’t even considered—he was left in the fields to care for the sheep—was the LORD’s choice, and would be one of the greatest leaders in God’s word.
APPLICATION:
“Perception is everything”.
That saying applies to so much of human personal development and secular leadership training.
When it comes to a stranger needing instructions, oftentimes they tend to walk toward the tallest person in the room. Or the one who may be dressed in the cleanest pressed clothes. Or the one with the clipboard. All appearance things.
So we invest heavily in developing our appearance. Clothing, skin care, working out. There is nothing wrong with any of those, in fact it is wise stewardship of ourselves to do so.
But the LORD sees that which human eyes do not see. The internal setup that prompts us to live and move and exist.
It either is devoted to the LORD, or it’s not. But it’s not black and white, in or out. It slides on a gradient and moves our way, or God’s way. And only two people know where it stands; ourselves and God.
By default, it’s at “zero”; our way. The world’s way. To move it toward God’s way takes intention and yes, effort. To stop going “after God’s heart” is to let it slide back to zero. Saul did that. Eventually he would still hold the position of king but the heart was at zero. And his decisions reflected that.
I must example a man “after God’s heart”. Not perfect nor polished. But also not slack in being presentable.
And, always pursuing the heart of God. Intentionally. With effort. And the gradient will lose its “steepness” until it’s instinctive to obey, and the choices I make and things I say, will be what man sees.
Not perfect. Just trying to be obedient.
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, Your kings exampled how we should lead our lives. May we choose well. Amen.
