What Matters to God
Man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7b ESV
I can pinpoint several times in my life when I thought I was looking cute only to get to the bathroom and discover otherwise. Whether it was several out of place hairs, a coffee stain on my top, or an unnoticed rip in my clothing I soon realized I wasn’t as “magazine ready” as I thought. Sometimes this is the case inwardly as well.
We may take great pains to work on our outward appearance while ignoring the condition of our hearts. Here in this passage, we see, God, sending the prophet Samuel to Bethlehem in search of the next King of Israel. Initially, Samuel saw Eliab’s appearance and thought he was the next King. This was when God reminded him that He is not like man and considers the heart rather than the outward appearance.
We too must address the conditions of our heart. Rather than obsessing about our outward appearance we should address unforgiveness, release pent-up anger, and get rid of all jealousy and envy first. These are the things God sees. Although it is tempting not to, we must give our heart more attention than we do our outward appearance.
Dear God, Thank You that You are not like humans and are concerned with my heart rather than my outward appearance. Please help me to be more concerned about how I look inwardly rather than my outer image. In Jesus Christ’s name, I pray. Amen.